BOSTON | Copley Place Tower | 626 FT / 191 M | 47 FLOORS | CANCELLED

[DrNest]

This may be blasphemy to Bostonians but I wouldn't mind seeing Pru getting a reclad.

It may be blasphemous to Bostonians, but as someone in Toronto, I think you're on to a good idea here. Given the Pru a total makeover would be almost like having a new skyscraper.

[Zapatan]

Originally Posted by aquablue

In the US maybe, but hardly in the global scheme of things. A 600 footer is really just a midrise today. Nice tower though, Boston needs some dynamic energy from development.

Why do people put the US second to the rest of the world? The USA has way more skyscrapers than any other country besides maybe China, which is one country. Americans have a serious inferiority complex.

The USA has about 750 buildings higher than 150 meters and about 200 higher than 200 meters, 99% of countries would kill for that. (Well the skyscraper lovers would anyway)

A 600 footer would be giant anywhere in Africa, Latin America or Europe. Even though it may not be too huge, a 630 foot good looking building will be great for Bostons skyline.

[rde84]

Nice looking project! Good for Boston.

[MolsonExport]

Elegant addition to a slow-changing skyline (but a wonderful, wonderful walking city!)

[summersm343]

Originally Posted by aquablue

In the US maybe, but hardly in the global scheme of things. A 600 footer is really just a midrise today. Nice tower though, Boston needs some dynamic energy from development.

A 600 footer isn't a skyscraper?! Are you out of your mind? Are you high? Are you both?

[aquablue]

Originally Posted by summersm343

A 600 footer isn't a skyscraper?! Are you out of your mind? Are you high? Are you both?

Do you know the meaning of personal perception?

[Downburst]

Was once seemingly dead, is now seemingly alive again, perhaps with some design changes-

From Curbed:

Remember this one? The city O.K.'d the 47-story, 318-condo addition to Copley Place in November 2011, despite an "Occupy the Mayor's Office" effort by residents concerned about the tower's affordability and the shadows it might cast. It was to be the tallest condo tower in Boston (this was before the Millennium Tower was announced). Then, about a year later, plans for the Copley Place spire went poof, as the developer, mall-making giant Simon Property Group, suspended its development plans. It was cryptic re: the motives for the suspensions.

All Simon said, basically, was that it wanted to reevaluate its plans, and never mind the bafflement of pols who had supported the tower against the local opposition. Now! It looks like the Copley Place tower is back on, but as rentals rather than condos. Here was Simon chairman and C.E.O. David Simon in a February earnings call for the publicly traded company:

[W]e're still designing the building. And we may need—because of that design, we may need to go back through some administrative approvals that we don't think will be a big deal. But the idea that we're circling right now is to do mostly rentals, though there will be some condo element to it. And so you'd have essentially a hybrid building.
Simon has been otherwise mum on plans for restarting the Copley Place tower (we'll let you know if we hear back from them). But it's likely, given the fertile environment for apartment-building in Boston (due in no small part to the city's consistently high rents), that the well-capitalized firm sees no reason to not move forward with a big exclamation point in Back Bay that's mostly apartments rather than condos.

Hopefully (though unlikely) this means some extra height.

[scalziand]

^I doubt that. Converting some of the condos to apartments would be a minor change, but in Boston, raising the height would be a MAJOR change that would require having to go through much of the approval process all over again.

[chris08876]

This tower is still on. Progress is slow, but, instead of 47 floors, it is now 52 floors. Here is a more recent article: Compared to March 2013 (Two posts above), this one is October 2013.

2014 might be the year for this development to rise. It has been taking a long time though.

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It's on: Everybody's favorite rubber stamp, the Boston Redevelopment Authority, is set Thursday to O.K. the 52-story addition to Copley Place.

Recall that the 625-foot tower, which would be the tallest majority-apartment building in New England, was originally approved back in November 2011, despite vociferous opposition over its luxury bent and its potential shadows. There was even an Occupy the Mayor's Office movement (remember those cats?). Then, about a year later, developer Simon Property Group, most famed for its mall-building, suspended development, saying it wanted to reevaluate the project.

Then! Simon unveiled fresh plans in the early summer, this time for a tower of 433 apartments and 109 condos (the 2011 plans called for a 47-story tower with 318 condos, period) as well as expanded retail at the base. There's still some tussling over the affordable-housing component of the Copley Place Tower, though (another) BRA O.K. seems inevitable, adding yet another tall building to the Boston skyline.

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http://boston.curbed.com/archives/20...most-there.php
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Wondering How the Copley Place Tower Will Meet the Street?

Wonder no more. The above rendering comes via developer Simon Property Group, which just got the O.K. to build the 52-story addition.

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October 18, 2013
http://boston.curbed.com/archives/20...the-street.php
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More Renderings (Street level/interior):





All from: http://www.boston.com/realestate/gal...ace_dpir?pg=10

http://wp.streetwise.co/wp-content/u...0/image001.jpg

[DZH22]

It sounds like things are still moving forward with this. There is a lot of legwork to be done on a slurry wall before the tower can rise.

The facade mockup is back. Here's a pic of it quoted from archboston

Originally Posted by DigitalSciGuy

Walked by the other day, forgetting the mock-up is still here. They've now got it surrounded by barrier ropes/queue barriers rather than the orange construction barrier... ~~~ooOoOoOoO~~~

[scalziand]

Originally Posted by DZH22

There is a lot of legwork to be done on a slurry wall before the tower can rise.

Especially considering that this project is essentially an air rights project over the Pike.

[Citylover94]

Based on information on the BRA website only the edge of this building closest to the plaza is on solid land. The divider between the eastbound and westbound pike is also under the buildings southern edge so it is almost entirely over the highway.

[scalziand]

It will be very interesting to see the intricate structure that will be required to support the tower over the pike.

[chris08876]

Copley Place Is Undergoing Some Major Modern Beautification

You may have noticed that the Prudential is undergoing major changes, what with Eataly taking over the Food Court. Well, there are major changes coming for the Prudential Mall's significant other, too.

Come September, Copley Place is getting renovated.
You may be used to the comely classical music that often wafts through the main thoroughfare, as well as that yellowish brown marble that permeates the interior palette.

Well, the music may stay, but that color will not. Property owner Simon has released renderings, which show a super bright interior. Other enhancements:

· New flooring throughout the center that will showcase a unique blend of stone, stone mosaic, and porcelain
· New ceiling treatments
· Upgraded escalators including the addition of a new escalator in the Neiman Marcus wing that will connect shopping levels 1 and 2
· Glass handrails to enhance visibility to the upper shopping levels and 16-foot retail storefronts on level 2
· Updated restrooms, with a new family restroom on the first level
· Upscale fast casual dining
· Energy-efficient LED lighting that will complement the recently unveiled Electric Vehicle · Fast-Charging Freedom Station
· A more modern look throughout the entire shopping center

Office space upgrades began last year, which should finish in 2015. Most mall enhancements will finish up by summer 2016, though all will stay open while work is being done. Simon will begin to upgrade the Southwest Corridor along Dartmouth Street, which has to be completed prior to the a 52-story residential Copley Tower construction. This work will include alternate and improved accessibility into Copley Place via an elevator.

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BC

[shadowbat2]

Edit: Chris posted the exact same render....

[JR Ewing]

It's nice to see that Boston is finally getting a decent building!

[scalziand]

I'll miss the marble, but the brass can go yesterday.

[shadowbat2]

They should have gone all the way and reclad that office building. The pink just looks ghastly!

[Citylover94]

According to the FAA approval for this building the final height will be 640' so the title should be updated. Link: FAA Approval Document

[Urbannizer]

Cancelled

Copley Place developer abandons plans for 625-foot tower

Oct. 31st, 2016

The developer behind what would have been one of Boston’s 10 tallest buildings has scrapped plans to plunk 625 feet atop Copley Place in Back Bay.

Simon Properties’ 52-story tower was due to include 542 condos and apartments as well as retail, and had been a long, long time in coming. Plans for it stretch back nearly a decade; and survived not only the Great Recession but vociferous neighborhood opposition.

In the end, though, what seems to have doomed the Copley Place addition is a fear on the part of the developer that Boston’s luxury real estate market is—get this—slowing.

In a conference call with analysts Wednesday, Simon chief executive David Simon said his company was scrapping the project due to "rapidly rising construction costs" in Boston and a worry there is more high-end housing coming than the market can support.