New Tower Proposed Near Hancock Building
The 33-story building would replace the Boston Common Hotel and Conference Center at 40 Trinity Place. South End Patch News
Developers Win Air Parcel Rights to Build 32-Story Tower
Samuels & Associations and Weiner Ventures won the rights to build a 32-story hotel, apartment and retail complex near the Hynes Convention Center stop in the Back Bay. The state Department of Transportation announced Monday that it awarded the air rights parcels above and along Interstate 90 at the intersection of Boylston Street and Massachusetts Avenue for a mixed-use tower. The 99-year lease agreement is valued at $ 18.5 million in rent for the two parcels. In one spot, the developers will build a 400-foot high-rise hotel and residential building, which will be set back from Boylston Street with a low-rise retail building along the street. In the other, they will construct a mid-rise residential building on Boylston Street and a two-floor retail building that will cross the Turnpike along Massachusetts Avenue. Altogether, the $ 360 million project will create a total of 230 residential units, a 270-room hotel, and 50,000 square feet of retail space. “We believe the (developer’s) proposal provides the best overall value and long-term benefit to the City of Boston by transforming this critical Back Bay intersection along the Turnpike,” MassDOT Secretary Richard Davey said. “The proposal’s rent offer also provides the best financial benefits to the citizens of the Commonwealth.” MassDOT judged the project on design, community benefits, community and city input, and on the developer’s financial proposal, capacity, and experience. The process began in 2008 but was put on hold during the financial crisis; it restarted in 2011. The Samuel-Weiner team has developed several prominent properties in the Back Bay and Fenway area over the past several years, including the Mandarin Oriental Hotel on Boylston Street and the Fenway Triangle Trilogy. South End Patch
Apartment Tower Near TD Garden Approved
The Boston Redevelopment Authority has given the go-ahead for a developer to construct a new 38-story apartment and retail tower near the TD Garden. The board voted unanimously on Feb. 14 to approve the AvalonBay Communities Inc. project—Nashua Street Residences—which features 503 residential units ranging from studio to three-bedroom apartments and a two-story “retail arcade” that connects to TD Garden and North Station. In 2006, the developer received BRA approval to construct a building with 363 units—a mix of condominiums and apartments. But economic conditions had put the project on hold until recently. The latest proposal was filed in November. Proponents of the project said at the Feb. 14 BRA meeting that they had met with several neighborhood groups to review the plans and that they had listened when residents suggested they change some of the smaller units to three-bedroom units, giving families more housing options in the area. The project also features 219 parking spaces. Construction on the new Nashua Street Residences building is expected to begin later this year. The company has two other residential buildings in Boston. Avalon at Prudential Center, 770 Boylston St., features studios and one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments with rent starting at $ 2,275 per month, according to the company website. Avalon Exeter, 77 Exeter St., in the Back Bay area, is nearing completion and expected to open this fall. The building features 187 apartment units ranging from studio to three bedrooms. SOUTH END PATCH: Facebook | Twitter | E-mail Updates South End Patch