PHOTO CREDIT: Courtesy of Great Rock Auctions

PHOTO CAPTION: The luxury single-family home at 20 Brimmer St., which failed to sell at auction last week.

In the first live auction for a luxury single-family home on Beacon Hill in recent memory, the 5,700 square-foot brownstone at 20 Brimmer St. failed to fetch an opening bid of $4.975 million Wednesday evening and went back to private sale.
About four years ago, developers Peter and Elizabeth Georgantas purchased the dilapidated five-bedroom 1860s townhouse for $2.25 million. The couple subsequently spent around $4 million in renovating the home, which included the addition of Italian marble to the master bath and the construction of a new wine cellar, green house and wet bar in the library.
In September of 2008, following the crash of the real estate market, the home was put up for sale for $8.95 million, but couldn’t find a buyer. The price of the townhouse was subsequently reduced to $7.95 million and then $7 million.
Tracy Campion, the listing broker for the property and owner of the Boston real estate firm Campion & Company, said, “Before the auction, [Peter] received several serious offers, all of which he turned down.”
Great Rock Auctions, a fledgling Back Bay-based auction firm that specializes in high-end real estate, held the on-site auction, which lasted approximately one minute.
According to a statement posted on the Great Rock Auctions Web site, “With 20 Brimmer, the market didn’t feel comfortable with the published minimum bid, thus, it was converted to a private sale. All of the buyers that have expressed interest in the property over the course of our marketing efforts will now, on an individual basis, be given a chance to privately communicate a price at which they are comfortable with.”
The Georgantases were unavailable for comment.
The townhouse was originally to be sold in tandem with a nearby two-bedroom, approximately 2,400 square-foot brownstone at 25 Lime St., but that property found a buyer before the auction took place.

PHOTO CAPTION: Contractor Finley H. Perry Jr. is seen during his recent visit to Hill House.

As part of “Go Green 2010: A Community Day for the Environment,” Hill House welcomed a local contractor who discussed the sustainable features of Beacon Hill and offered environmentally conscious tips to neighborhood homeowners Thursday evening.
Finley H. Perry Jr., founder of Hopkinton-based F.H. Perry Builder, Inc., a certified green professional, director of the National Association of Home Builders and past president of Builders Association of Greater Boston, was on hand for an informational perspective and question-and-answer seminar entitled “Living Green in Beacon Hill: A Contractor’s Perspective on Your Historic House.”
“Beacon Hill offers a pretty attractive overview,” Perry said in contrasting the neighborhood to suburbs, like Weston, which he described as auto-based and commonly featuring newer construction.
Among the sustainable features of Beacon Hill that Perry noted are the preservation and reuse of historic buildings, the “walkability” of the neighborhood, its dense development and the frequent presence of common walls, which allow abutting homes to share heat.
In offering suggestions for preventing heat loss, Perry described installing insulation as the “least expensive, highest impact thing you can do.”
A common cause of heat loss, Perry said, was ice dams, which are ridges of ice that form at the edge of a roof and prevent melting snow from draining.
Regarding lighting, Perry pointed out that the high cost of Compact Fluorescent Lights (CFL) and Light Emitting Diode (LED) bulbs were offset by the savings in electricity costs over an extended period of time.
Perry recommended that homeowners hire a contractor for jobs such as installing insulation, upgrading HVAC systems and replacing windows. Other tasks, such as paining and installing low-flow plumbing fixtures, he suggested homeowners could do themselves.

Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) officials provided an update last week on the Charles River Basin Accelerated Bridge Program, part of a $3 billion initiative launched two years ago by Gov. Deval Patrick to improve structurally deficient bridges throughout the Commonwealth.
Besides improving the overall condition of the bridges throughout the state, MassDOT stated program’s objectives include “stimulating economic growth through job creation, saving money by completing the projects sooner, completing the projects efficiently and innovatively and providing transparency and accountability.” The program, which was enacted under Chapter 233 of the Acts of 2008, mandates that all bridge projects are completed by 2016.
MassDOT Project Manager Steve McLaughlin described the $270 million rehabilitation of the Longfellow Bridge, which connects Boston to Cambridge across the Charles River, as “the keystone of the [Charles River Basin] APB program.”
The overall objectives of the Longfellow Bridge project are to improve accessibility for pedestrians and bicyclists and to make sidewalks compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The early action phase of the project includes de-leading the structure, as well as re-pointing and washing the granite. The design for the second phase is slated for completion by January of 2011.
The $42 million dollar overhaul of the Craigie Dam Bridge and Draw Bridge, located near the Museum of Science, is currently under construction. Work includes the installation of a new structure, and pedestrian and bicycle access will be improved via the creation of a new multi-use path. “We want to get it open to traffic as soon as possible for the other bridges upstream,” McLaughlin said.
The Boston University Bridge, which connects Boston to Cambridge over the Charles River, is also now under construction. The rehabilitation includes a full-deck restoration, including both sidewalks; steel repairs to the bridge’s superstructure; historic restoration; the installation of a new drainage system; and improved access for pedestrians and bicyclists.
While McLaughlin said the first phase of the BU Bridge project is currently two months behind schedule, MassDOT has received a recovery plan from the contractor and is still aiming for a 2011 completion date.
The rehabilitation of the River Street Bridge, which connects Cambridge to Allston across the Charles River, intends to introduce a bike lane while still accommodating the current level of vehicular traffic.
Work on the Anderson Memorial Bridge, which connects Allston to Cambridge across the Charles River, is currently ahead of schedule and includes the rehabilitation and restoration of bridge elements.
The Magazine Beach Pedestrian Bridge, which crosses Memorial Drive at Magazine Beach in Cambridge, will be replaced with a new $2.5 million structure that will meet ADA standards. The bridge was badly damaged when a construction crane hit it in 2007.

The Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary recently filed a Letter of Intent with the city for three proposed projects that would result in a 90,000 square-foot expansion of its Boston campus.
The medical facility plans to build an 89,700 square-foot research facility at 325 Charles St., which would replace three outdated buildings located between 309 and 325 Cambridge St. that total 70,200 square feet. A second proposed project would add a 25,000 square-foot “annex” to the John Jeffries House, on Charles Street that would house retail and administrative space. The hospital is also planning a renovation and 50,500 square-foot expansion of its main clinical building at 243 Charles St.
Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary spokesperson Jennifer Street said while timelines and architects for the projects have yet to be determined, the hospital has begun preliminary discussions with the Beacon Hill Civic Association (BHCA), Massachusetts General Hospital and residents of Beacon Hill and the West End.
“We have developed a 10-year strategic plan that includes growing our services and creating better access for patients who come to Boston to see our specialists,” Street said. “We hope to improve our space for researchers who are working to advance new treatments and find cures for the conditions that affect our patients.”

To commemorate the 20th anniversary of the infamous Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum heist, which remains the biggest art theft in history, three Charles Street businesses will play host to an evening of sleuthing, discovery, entertainment, refreshments and prizes on Thursday, March 18.
“With the Gardner Heist anniversary, we have found the common ground that links all three of our Charles Street establishments with product, service and accommodation and hopefully, fun for our community,” said Jennifer Hill, who owns one of the participating stores, Blackstones of Beacon Hill gift shop, with her buiness partner Mike Duffield. “In partnering with other businesses on the street, it is our belief that a rising tide floats all boats,”
The program begins with an in-store appearance and book signing by Ulrich Boser, author of the 2009 bestseller “The Gardner Heist: The True Story of the World's Largest Unsolved Art Theft,” at Blackstone’s of Beacon Hill, 46 Charles St., from 4 to 7 p.m.
From 5 to 7 p.m., an expert in art restoration will be on hand for a wine reception at Caswell Galleries, 31 Charles St.
“As a longstanding member of the Beacon Hill business community and a purveyor of fine art, print and framing, it was a natural fit for us to join in marking the 20th anniversary of the Gardner Heist,” said David Caswell, owner of Caswell Galleries.
The Charles Street Inn at 94 Charles St., meanwhile, will feature one-woman performances by accomplished actress Laura R. Duggan as Isabella Stewart Gardner at 5 p.m. and again at 7 p.m. Following the 7 p.m. performance, Ulrich will join venerable radio and TV news reporter David Boeri at the hotel for a champagne reception and Q&A session that promises to reveal new information in the still unsolved case.
“As the final stop in this exciting event we are pleased to open our doors and invite the public in for a champagne reception,” said Louise Venden, proprietor of the Charles Street Inn. “Hosting and toasting Boser and Boeri with an interactive Q&A will be a great way to conclude a wonderful evening for our friends and neighbors.”
To add to the fun, participants will be able to enter a raffle by collecting three pieces of a picture puzzle of one of the stolen paintings, Rembrandt’s “The Sea of Galilee.” Each of the three Charles Street locations will have one-third of the puzzle. Participants who present their completed picture at the Charles Street Inn could be eligible to win a one night stay at the Charles Street Inn, a $150 gift certificate from Caswell Galleries and Blackstone’s of Beacon Hill exclusive Make Way for Duckling Rug.
On March 18, 1990, two unknown thieves posing as police officers entered the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum and subdued two guards before making off with $600 million worth of art by today's standards, including works by Rembrandt, Johannes Vermeer, Edgar Degas, Édouard Manet and Govaert Flinck, as well as artifacts dating back to the Shang Dynasty in China. The case remains open, and the museum is offering a $5 million reward for information leading to the return of the artwork in good condition.