New 14-Story Residential Tower at Lovejoy Wharf

Now that construction at Converse’s new world headquarters at 160 North Washington is essentially complete, ground has broken on the hefty residential building going up next door at Lovejoy Wharf in Boston's North End. Foundation work for the 155-foot tall 131 Beverly Street building, which will be separated by an alleyway and used separately from Converse, is now underway. Both the buildings will tower over the public waterfront pavilion that also connects the Harborwalk, a public path spanning nearly 47 miles of Boston's coastline, between the North End and Charlestown.

Spearheaded by Related-Beal, construction of 131 Beverly will yield 175 condominiums totaling 220,000-square feet of residential living. The first two floors will be occupied by retail, restaurant, facility and public-use space.

The residential building is part of an overall redevelopment of Lovejoy Wharf Related-Beal has undertaken that will transform a long under-utilized 2.1-acre waterfront site into the new world headquarters for Converse, residential and retail uses and a public open space on Boston Inner Harbor.

The new tower will be located adjacent to the 10-story new home of Converse Inc.'s world headquarters at 160 North Washington St. Retail will also line Lovejoy Wharf.

Designed by Robert A.M. Stern Architects, the visionary firm behind The Clarendon and One Back Bay, the new 155 foot tall 131 Beverly Street reflects the growing market demand for residential ownership opportunities in the city's newest neighborhood.

One of the most unusual aspects of the project was the elimination of a 315-spot parking garage. The logic? There's so much public transit nearby, why take up valuable real estate with a giant parking garage.

This move proved beneficial as it freed up more waterfront space that allowed for the implementation of public seating, plant life and a two-story pavilion structure that's situated directly next to a staircase which carries pedestrians down from the North Washington Street Bridge and connects to the Harborwalk.

The roof of the pavilion structure will be an open terrace for anyone to enjoy unique views of the North Washington Street Bridge, the Zakim Bridge and the Charles River if they're so inclined.

131 Beverly is expected to fully complete in the fall of 2016, barring any setbacks.