BOSTON | South Station | 677 FT | 49 FLOORS

[chris08876]

The South Station development will consist of the completion of the
South Station Transportation Center at the lower levels of the project, plus the addition of a 49-story, 970,000-square-foot office tower, a 155-unit residential condominium and 200-room hotel building, a 525,000-square-foot office building, and parking for approximately 755 cars.

In addition to its emphasis on sustainable design, important considerations in the master plan were the preservation of the historic South Station train station building; the linkage of the existing train station and bus terminal; and the ability to facilitate the future expansion of the train station.

With commencement of construction anticipated in early 2017, South Station is destined to become a future landmark in Boston.

ADDRESS
650 Atlantic Avenue, Boston, MA
LOCATION
Financial District
ARCHITECT
Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects
BUILDING DETAILS
1,935,000 square feet

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https://www.hines.com/properties/south-station-boston
==========================

The plan to plunk a 677-foot, 49-story tower atop South Station, along with two other squatter buildings, appears to be moving forward. Houston-based developer Hines has a new financial backer and has been meeting with city as well as state officials about the project, which dates way back to 1991 and which once included a 759-foot tower in its proposal.

Part of the movement on the 677-foot plan is that Hines' development rights for the site expire in April 2017. Coincidentally (we imagine), the firm's website clearly says it plans to start construction above South Station early next year.

The main tower would instantly become one of the 10 tallest in Boston—in New England, really—and would join a forest of newer spires, including One Dalton, Millennium Tower, and the big-time addition to the Copley Place mall.

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http://boston.curbed.com/2016/4/8/11...n-tower-boston

[PhilliesPhan]

What a beautiful tower! Congratulations, Boston! You won't hear that coming out of the mouth of this Phillies fan too often!

[Plokoon11]

Nice design!

[blart]

Looks great… hope it gets built!

[Onward]

Like the design a lot!

[tdawg]

That's elegant.

[colemonkee]

Very solid! Boston is on a roll right now!

[wanderer34]

This proposal looks just exactly like the old South Station proposal from several years ago. I still like it, and it's further proof of sticking to your guns and plans, even during a recession rather than mothballing a beautiful tower like the former American Commerce Center in Philadelphia and replacing it with a less aesthetically pleasing one like the Comcast Information and Technology Center.

And while it's shorter than the CITC, it's a much better looking tower at that. My apologies that a city like Boston couldn't even get a 1K' tower like Winthrop Square built, as I can understand that it's closer to Logan Airport, but a least Boston has a more progressive and a more ambitious government and corporate community than what we have right now in Philly!!! Best of luck in getting this project off the ground!!!

[bidonv]

By:boston.curbed.com
South Station Tower Would Be One of the Tallest in New England

Plans moving forward for 677-foot spire

The plan to plunk a 677-foot, 49-story tower atop South Station, along with two other squatter buildings, appears to be moving forward. Houston-based developer Hines has a new financial backer and has been meeting with city as well as state officials about the project, which dates way back to 1991 and which once included a 759-foot tower in its proposal.

Part of the movement on the 677-foot plan is that Hines' development rights for the site expire in April 2017. Coincidentally (we imagine), the firm's website clearly says it plans to start construction above South Station early next year.

The main tower would instantly become one of the 10 tallest in Boston—in New England, really—and would join a forest of newer spires, including One Dalton, Millennium Tower, and the big-time addition to the Copley Place mall.

There are many variables re: Hines' plans, not least of which what will go into the tower itself. The most recent plans have office space occupying most of it, but Hines is apparently tweaking that to include more housing. (The smaller two buildings would hold a hotel and condos under current plans.) There's also the question of how the massive project would fit in with the transit hub's own expansion, including new tracks...........See more

[chris08876]

There was a nice comment in one of the OP articles that had a list of Boston developments and ones that are complete. Essentially the tallests with years built. By the user odurandina.

With 5 likely +200m skyscrapers going up in the current cycle, in a few years Boston will have 7 +200m skyscrapers. Here’s what will likely be Boston’s tallest Skyscrapers in order of height – in just a few years….

1. John Hancock Tower (241m/790’) 1976
2. Four Seasons (230m/755’) 2018
3. Prudential (228m/750’) 1964
4. 111 Fed (~224m/735’) 2020?
5. 1 Bromfield St (~224m/735’) 2020?
6. Millennium Tower (209m) 2016
7. South Station Tower (206m/678’) 2020?
8. 8. Govt Center (oval) office tower 43 stories + tall mech screen ~(197/647’)2020?
9. Copley Square Tower (191m/626’) 2020?
10. Federal Reserve Bank 32 stories 614’ 1977
11. 1 Boston Place 40 stories 601 ’ 1970
12. 1 International Place Tower 46 stories 600’ 1987
13. 100 Federal St (pregnant) 37 stories 591’ 1971
14. 1 Financial Center in Dewey Square 46 stories 590’ 1983
15. 111 Huntington Avenue 36 stories 554’ 2002
16. Govt Center residential tower 45 stories 547’ 2019
17. 2 International Place 36 stories 538’ 1992
18. 1 Post Office square 40 stories 525’ 1981
19. 1 Federal Street 38 stories 520’ 1975
20. Exchange Place 39 stories 510’ 1984
21. 60 State Street 38 stories 509’ 1977
22. 1 Beacon Street 37 stories 507’ 1971
23. TD Garden Tower 1 (office) ~21 stories over podium ~505’ 2020
24. 1 Lincoln Street 36 stories 503’ 2003
25. 28 State Street 40 stories 500’ 1969

Its great to see Boston lead the pack when it comes to developments north of NYC or in New England. Still hope that one day a super tall can happen. I think it could, even with Logan airport. There are some sections in the flight map (FAA) that can allow for 300m+.

[chris08876]

South Station Tower About to Take a Big Step Forward

Plans to plunk a giant tower atop South Station stretch back to the early 1990s and, for a variety of reasons, have stood as stationary as a Red Line at rush hour since the middle '00s. Now it looks like the plan could move forward in a big way today.

Recall that Houston-based developer Hines wants to erect a 677-foot tower with two squatter buildings on and around New England's busiest train station. Current plans call for the complex to include up to 195,000 square feet of residential space; a 200-room hotel; and a 755-space parking garage. The main tower would instantly become one of the 10 tallest in Boston and join a veritable forest of new spires.

Hines now has the financial backing of a Chinese development firm, and, come this evening, could have the blessing of the Boston Redevelopment Authority for a new entity that Hines would control. According to Steve Adams at Banker & Tradesman, the BRA board is expected to assign development rights for the South Station project to an LLC comprised of Hines and that Chinese backer.

Now! Such a vote would not mean that the current plans are a go. Hines has already hinted that things could change. For now, though, it looks like a big step forward is imminent for an idea that predates the World Wide Web.

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1) http://boston.curbed.com/2016/5/12/1...n-tower-boston
2) http://www.bankerandtradesman.com/20...station-tower/

[Busy Bee]

Surely they're not keeping the pre-crash design...?

[chris08876]

Originally Posted by Busy Bee

Surely they're not keeping the pre-crash design...?

Yeah so far it looks like its the pre crash design.

The plan to plunk a 677-foot, 49-story tower atop South Station, along with two other squatter buildings, appears to be moving forward. Houston-based developer Hines has a new financial backer and has been meeting with city as well as state officials about the project, which dates way back to 1991 and which once included a 759-foot tower in its proposal.

Eh, its not bad. The height and bulk is nice and the design is pretty decent. Nothing in the wow factor, but good for Boston.

[scalziand]

Originally Posted by Busy Bee

Surely they're not keeping the pre-crash design...?

Originally Posted by chris08876

Yeah so far it looks like its the pre crash design.

Here's a new render with a tweaked design. More condos, less office.


South Station tower to move forward with more condos
By Tim Logan Globe Staff May 13, 2016


With a new investment partner, the developer of a long-stalled tower at South Station said the new building will be a mix of offices and residences.

Houston-based Hines said the upper floors of the 51-story tower will now include 175 condominiums, with office space below. Thursday night, it won approval from the Boston Redevelopment Authority to bring a new majority investor – an arm of big Chinese builder Gemdale Properties – into the project.


http://www.bostonglobe.com/business/...flow%3Atwitter

[Busy Bee]

I think it just got worse. Something circular to play off the stations' corner radius would look good. This design seems overwrought, misproportioned and clumsy—and sort of thoughtless in terms of its interaction with the station building.

[hotwheels]

Office and Residential Tower Proposed Above South Station

South Station's importance to Boston's transportation network is reflected by the 152,000 passengers that flow through the multimodal transportation hub every day. With convenient access to the MBTA's Red and Silver Lines, in addition to Commuter Rail, AMTRAK, and bus services, Boston's largest railroad station has operatng from an intricate Neoclassical stone building since 1898. A number of ideas to fill the airspace above the station with a skyscraper have been floated in the past, though none have seen the light of day, but a new partnership could finally bring action to the site. Global real estate firm Hines has announced a joint venture with China's Gemdale Properties & Investment Corporation Limited with the intention of redeveloping the property into a mixed-use complex.

[Citylover94]

Another new rendering is now up on Pelli's website showing the tower as it would appear from the South Bay Interchange.



South Station Page

[TallBob]

Some very nice towers for "Bean Town"!!

[Citylover94]

The NPC was filed today with the BRA. More renderings and details on the project are now available.

South Station Air Rights Notice of Project Change

[Urbannizer]

Latest South Station Tower Delay Shows Ongoing Cost Spat With City, State And Hines

A long-awaited proposal to build a skyscraper above one of Boston’s biggest transit hubs has revealed a rare case of discord between the city and the state.

The Boston Planning & Development Agency’s zoning commission unanimously approved developer Hines’ plan for a 678-foot mixed-use tower over South Station in March 2017. At the time of the BPDA hearing, the developer said it planned to begin construction quickly pending approval from Massachusetts. More than a year later, the state has yet to give its blessing, and the project has needed a series of time extensions for Hines to keep its development rights. A Monday Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority meeting showed the state is still not ready for the developer to break ground. “We have some very serious concerns about the operation and maintenance costs going forward as well as the required capital expenses and the way those are going to be equitably split among the various stakeholders,” MBTA Fiscal and Management Control Board member (and former MBTA chief) Brian Shortsleeve said Monday during a hearing to grant Hines a project extension for South Station Tower. Massachusetts Department of Transportation Chief Strategy Officer Scott Bosworth presented to the FMCB regarding extending a development agreement with Hines, as the previous one was scheduled to expire on Monday. While the Houston-based developer had until the end of 2017 to reach an agreement with the state or forfeit its rights to build over South Station, both the city and the state have extended their separate agreements while negotiations have continued among the three parties.