South Station Tower is a proposed skyscraper intended for construction in Boston, Massachusetts, the high-rise portion of a three-building development. The tower by design would rise 677 feet (206 m), with 43 floors (previously 49). The overall project would include condominium units, office space, a parking structure, and possibly hotel space. It would be built atop Boston's historic South Station complex, an example of "transit-oriented development." The property was initially proposed by Hines Interests and TUDC, a subsidiary of Tufts University.
South Station Tower was planned to break ground in 2008, with completion scheduled to occur in 2010, but the project stalled and has not reached development. Approval has been obtained for a project totaling 2,190,000 square feet (203,000Â m2). As of March 2016 the developer's website was updated stating the tower would begin construction early in 2017; the FAA had given approval in February for a tower reaching 677 feet. The developer's rights to build on the site were scheduled to expire in April 2017, but the state extended them until the end of the year.
History
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Development of the airspace above the southbound tracks has been delayed several times. The building was conceived by Tufts president Jean Mayer, who foresaw an "epicenter of high-profile medical research" in downtown Boston. In 1991, Tufts created a for-profit development subsidiary, TUDC LLC, and acquired the rights to the airspace. Development over the past decade has been complicated by Boston waterfront zoning restrictions, which require pedestrian access to the waterfront. In 1997, TUDC brought on Hines Interests LP as a development partner. In 2006, TUDC and Hines filed a Development Plan for the project.
Questions were raised in 2007 about the university's role in the project, and Tufts withdrew in 2009.
South Station Tower was originally designed with a height of 759 feet (231 m), which included a decorative spire. However, the project was downscaled in 2006.
In July 2016, the developer filed a "Notice of Project Change" with the Boston Planning and Development Agency (BPDA), proposing a number of changes in the project, including the addition of more residential space. The notice included a timeline calling for construction of the project's first building, the high-rise tower, to begin in 2017. In December 2016, the board of the BPDA approved construction of the project.
Design
Preliminary design was done by architect Cesar Pelli, whose designs are reminiscent of his Wells Fargo Center in Minneapolis. The structure has been LEED pre-certified "silver" and won the EPA's "Green design" award.
References
See also
- List of tallest buildings in Boston
