COVID-19 Response: Suspension of ElectricWeb for April 2020

Issuance Date: 04/6/2020

To: Owners and Contractors

Purpose: Guidance to owners and contractors regarding enforcement of Essential vs. Nonessential construction in accordance with NYS Governor’s Executive Order 202.6 and subsequent orders, and the Guidance on Executive Order 202.6 published by NYS ESDC Item 9

Related Code/Zoning Section(s):

• AC 28-103.8
• AC 28-201.1
• New York State Gubernatorial Emergency Order 202.6 and subsequent orders and related Empire State Development Corporation guidelines
• New York City Mayoral Emergency Order 103 and subsequent mayoral emergency orders

_________________________________________________________________

In accordance with NYS Governor’s Executive Order 202.6 and the Guidance on Executive Order 202.6 and subsequent orders published by NYS ESDC Item 9, (1) All non-essential construction must shut down except emergency construction, (e.g. a project necessary to protect health and safety of the occupants, or to continue a project if it would be unsafe to allow to remain undone until it is safe to shut the site). (2) Essential construction may continue and includes roads, bridges, transit facilities, utilities, hospitals or health care facilities, affordable housing, and homeless shelters. At every site, if essential or emergency non-essential construction, this includes maintaining social distance, including for purposes of elevators/meals/entry and exit. Sites that cannot maintain distance and safety best practices must close and enforcement will be provided by the state in coordination with the city/local governments. This will include fines of up to $10,000 per violation. (3) For purposes of this section construction work does not include a single worker, who is the sole employee/worker on a job site.

Only the following construction projects permitted by the NYC Department of Buildings or otherwise regulated by the NYC Construction Codes and the NYC Electrical Code shall be permitted to continue until further notice. This guidance does not apply to construction on roads, bridges, and transit facilities that is allowable under the Governor’s Executive Orders and ESDC Guidance.

Melanie E. La Rocca

Commissioner

280 Broadway (7th Floor)

New York, NY 10007

Tel 212 393 2002

www.nyc.gov/buildings

1. Emergency construction (ESDC Item 9, bullet 1):

a. Project necessary to protect the health and safety of the occupants:

i. Emergency work ordered by the Department;

ii. Restoration of essential services – heat, hot water, cold water, gas, electricity, or other utility services; or

iii. Work necessary to address any condition requiring immediate corrective action that severely affects life, health, safety, property, or significant number of persons.

b. Project required to continue to the extent it would be unsafe to allow work to remain undone. Such project may continue only until it is safe to shut the site.

2. Essential construction (ESDC Item 9, bullet 2):

a. Utilities;

b. Hospitals or health care facilities;

c. Transitional and/ or Homeless shelters;

d. Affordable housing: Construction work on public housing, or a private or multiple dwelling or real property that is a new building (NB) or that is 100% vacant; or is work on unoccupied public housing units for the designation as housing for specific populations (i.e. shelter set aside, domestic violence referrals), or work on the exterior to address emergency conditions requiring immediate corrective action, set forth in Section 1(a)(iii) or within public housing, correction of critical systems for seasonal preparedness for the 2020-2021 heating season of an existing public housing building. Construction work on a private or multiple dwelling or real property that is a new buildin (NB) or that is 100% vacant that is now used or will be converted to such use: (i) For the provisio of affordable inclusionary housing or mandatory inclusionary housing pursuant to the New Yor city zoning resolution; or (ii) Where no less than 30% of the residential units are subject to a regulatory agreement, restrictive declaration, or similar instrument with a local, state, or federal governmental entity or a local housing authority in a city with a population of one million or more.

e. Other essential construction as approved by the Department.

3. Work that is limited to a single worker, who is the sole employee/worker on a job site (ESDC Item 9, bullet 3)

                                          ALL OTHER WORK TO CEASE

All other construction and demolition work permitted by the NYC Department of Buildings or otherwise regulated by the NYC Construction Codes and the NYC Electrical Code shall cease and comply with Buildings Bulletin 2020-004.

All complaints from the public or workers should be directed to 311 where a Class “A” complaint will be generated for DOB to address.

For a determination that work is either essential or emergency work in accordance with New York State Gubernatorial Emergency Order 202.6 and subsequent orders and related Empire State Development Corporation guidelines shall be submitted to the Department in a form and manner acceptable to the Department.

Reference: 

NYS Governor’s Executive Order 202.6 (MARCH 30, 2020 at 11:00 AM)

Boston Extends COVID-19 Construction Ban 'Indefinitely'

Boston, one of the first major cities in the U.S. to shut down all but emergency construction work to curb the COVID-19 outbreak, is extending its building ban “until further notice” as virus-related deaths and infections mount.

Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh, a former union laborer and building trades leader, had initially announced a two-week halt when he unveiled the shutdown order on March 16. 

But on March 25, with 1,838 infections and 15 deaths in Massachusetts and the number of new cases growing rapidly, he extended the ban 'indefinitely' to combat coronavirus spread.

In a press statement, Walsh noted that “large gatherings such as those at construction sites have been proven to escalate the spread of the coronavirus.”

While not offering any timetable for when Boston might reevaluate its stance, Walsh said the city is working with both construction companies and unions in the building trades to “determine protocols” so that work can safely resume.

Pennsylvania and Washington State have also instituted construction moratoriums, although Pennsylvania is exempting hospital projects.

Walsh’s decision to extend the ban comes even as other state and local officials have allowed a range of major building projects to move forward, including in Boston.

Despite Walsh’s ban, work has continued unabated in Boston’s Seaport District on a Hyatt Place Hotel and in the neighboring Ora Seaport, a 304-unit apartment building. While they are located on Boston’s waterfront, the buildings are exempt from Walsh’s order because they sit on land controlled by the Massachusetts Port Authority.

In contrast to Walsh, Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker (R) classified construction work as “essential” in his March 23 order for all "non-essential" businesses and organizations to close for two weeks.

Construction continues to operate with COVID-19 regulations in cities and towns that neighbor Boston, including Brookline.  

Boston’s decision to shut down construction comes amid an epic building boom in the city.

There were 97 different active construction projects across the city before the ban went into place last week, for a total of more than 21 million sq ft of new or renovated residential, office and commercial space, according to the Boston Planning and Development Agency.

"The safety and health of construction workers and all residents of Boston is my first priority, and I am not willing to put that at risk as the virus spreads throughout our communities," Walsh said.

Hotel, Condos and 655 Apartments Planned in Allston

The new owner of the longtime home of The Skating Club of Boston has plans for a large residential project at the site. 

Boston-based real estate firm The Davis Cos. intends to build a 655-unit apartment and condominium complex and a 255-room hotel at the site of The Skating Club of Boston and the Studio Allston Hotel, adding another large-scale project in the area surrounding the Harvard Business School campus and Boston Landing. 

The Davis Cos. plans the project at 1240 Soldiers Field Road and 1234 Soldiers Field Road, which it acquired from the Skating Club of Boston for a combined $40.45 million in 2017 and 2018. 

The firm intends to demolish both the club and the Studio Allston hotel to make way for its new residential and hotel project.

The Skating Club is building a facility in Norwood, which is scheduled to be complete this summer. It sold the Soldiers Field Road property to The Davis Cos. to finance the new facility.

The Davis Cos. plans to build a 535-unit apartment complex with 10,500 square feet of ground-floor commercial space and parking for 220 vehicles at 1240 Soldiers Field Road. 

On the adjacent parcel, it’s planning 120 condominiums, a 255-room hotel, a 110-space underground parking garage and 4,000 square feet of commercial space. The parking garage will have the ability to accommodate up to 185 vehicles utilizing an automated stacker system if needed.

The company is also pitching 72,000 square feet of public open space between the two parcels. 

“The Project will require dimensional and use zoning relief,” said Fallon. “We appreciate the BPDA’s assistance thus far in providing feedback in the early planning stages of the Project.”

5 Copley Place Tower to Rise 52 Stories

Simon Property Group is preparing for construction of a 52-story tower at 5 Copley Place that would be one of the largest residential buildings in Boston. The project will create 542 residences, a 40,000 SF addition to the Neiman Marcus store, a glass-enclosed garden and 75,000 square feet of new retail and restaurant space at the corner of Dartmouth and Stuart streets.  The $500 million private investment will put 1,700 construction workers back on the job.

Approximately 680,000 square feet of new residential space will be above the existing building, situated across from the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s Back Bay Station.

The building’s 433 rental apartments and 109 condos will be housed in a slender 52-story tower designed by Elkus Manfredi Architects, and include 71 affordable housing units.

The plans call for a lap pool on the 6th floor, a 7th floor sky lobby and deck, garage parking spaces and secure bike storage.

At 569 feet, the skyscraper will be the second tallest residential building in Boston, behind the soon-to-be constructed, Four Seasons Tower.

The project will include a large 40,000 square-foot addition to the to the Neiman Marcus store, followed by a complete renovation of the existing 115,000-square-foot store - which will not close during construction.

It will also include additional space for smaller-scale retail shops and restaurants, with a “public winter garden” at the Stuart Street plaza. The developer has also committed up to $1 million towards new public art and $250,000 to Southwest Corridor Park.

The project will build on the strengths of the existing Copley Place complex at Stuart and Dartmouth Streets and infuse an already successful retail destination with an inspired and dynamic mixed-use development.

“The expansion of Neiman Marcus and Copley Place strengthens our retail destination in the Back Bay and contributes to the City’s economic vitality,” according to a press release. “The project will enhance the urban fabric of the neighborhood and be a striking addition to the city’s skyline.”

The project attracted controversy when state representatives accused the Governor of violating a 1997 agreement by signing a revised lease with the developer before city and state regulators could review its impacts on area residents.

Some neighbors have raised concerns, for example, that the project will add to the high winds and shadows thrown off by other skyscrapers in the area.

However, the developer has stressed that the tower would not significantly increase wind in the area, and would only cast minimal new shadows on surrounding open spaces.

It also said it has rotated the tower from its initial orientation on the site and made several other design changes “to minimize environmental impacts, provide improvements to the public realm, and greatly enhance the overall pedestrian experience.”

Built by Chicago-based Urban Investment and Development, Copley Place was at the time the largest mixed-use project in the country. It was criticized by neighbors and some public officials for the way its hulking buildings towered over town houses in the South End.

The original $500 million project eventually included the Westin and Marriott hotels, four office buildings, a shopping mall, 100 apartments, and a 1,400-space parking garage.

The existing building at Copley Place consists of parking, three levels of retail and seven floors of office space.

The new design will transform the brick-paved plaza entrance to Neiman Marcus into a multi-story atrium with a glass facade

The new tower would fill out the last undeveloped parcels in Copley Place, which was initially built in the 1980s over the Massachusetts Turnpike roadway and ramps, and on a former railroad yard.

Simon initially proposed the project in June 2008, but put it on hold when the recession dried up funding for big projects.

The company resurrected the project last year and construction is expected to last 3 years.

  

740-Ft Glass Tower Will Be Boston's Third Tallest

A developer has plans to build one of Boston’s tallest buildings in downtown’s Financial District. The 740-foot glass tower will include a 300-room hotel, offices, retail space, a restaurant and 150 luxury condominium units.  Costing as much as $900 million to build, the 900,000-SF skyscraper will add a new showpiece to Boston’s rapidly changing skyline.

The building would be the tallest building in the downtown area and will include a 300-room hotel, retail space, offices, and up to 150 condominiums on the upper floors.

The tower proposal comes during one of the most dynamic periods of construction in the city’s history, as numerous skyscrapers aim to alter the Boston skyline.

At 740 feet, the angular skyscraper would be Boston’s third-tallest structure, behind the 750-foot Prudential building and the 790-foot John Hancock Tower.

An office building at 133 Federal Street would be combined with the new tower at ground level to create a 72,000-square-foot lobby with restaurants and shops.

The complex, called 111 Federal Street will rise on one of the Financial District’s last major development sites, replacing the city-owned Winthrop Square parking garage presently on the site.

Before work can proceed, developer Steve Belkin must negotiate a deal to buy the property from the city.

The dilapidated garage at 111-115 Federal Street will be demolished and replaced with glass storefronts and modern lobbies for the offices and a luxury hotel.

Former Mayor Thomas Menino selected Steve Belkin to redevelop the property in 2006, but the project failed to attract enough tenants amid the economic downturn.

The original plan called for a 1,000-foot office tower, but that proposal was rejected because it would have interfered with air traffic. The new proposal calls for a tower 260 feet shorter.

The building will be one of only a few towers built in the densely packed Financial District since the 1980s. In recent years, tech companies, restaurants and retailers have brought new life to the area.

The project, designed by Boston-based CBT Architects, is expected to begin construction sometime later this year.

207 New Apartments to be Created in Dorchester

A 1.81-acre parking lot at 780 Morrissey Boulevard in Dorchester, that used to host the Phillips Old Colony House and Freeport Tavern, will soon be home to a new apartment building.

Camden, New Jersey-based Michaels Development, which purchased a controlling interest in the site, has plans to construct a six-story apartment complex. 

The project promises to bring in more much-needed affordable housing to one of Boston’s neighborhoods.

The new development will create 207 new apartments, with 92 studios, 94 one-bedroom apartments, and 21 two-bedroom units. Plans also include a 136-space parking garage.

Michaels Development bills itself as the “nation’s largest privately-held owner of affordable housing.” This would be its first project in Massachusetts.

The development will also cause the demise of another surface parking lot in Boston. The trend has gathered steam in just the past several months, with several new projects planned in downtown, Fort Point, Back Bay and Bay Village. 

The redevelopment of the site, now used for parking, is the latest in what’s becoming a trend for a city in need of housing as developers gobble up old parking lots and garages in favor of mixed-use developments in tightly woven neighborhoods all across Boston.

The trend is likely a result of not only the high land values in Boston—which make sales particularly alluring for lot owners—but the changing nature of driving and parking in the city.

Hotel, Condos and 655 Apartments Planned in Allston

The new owner of the longtime home of The Skating Club of Boston has plans for a large residential project at the site. 

Boston-based real estate firm The Davis Cos. intends to build a 655-unit apartment and condominium complex and a 255-room hotel at the site of The Skating Club of Boston and the Studio Allston Hotel, adding another large-scale project in the area surrounding the Harvard Business School campus and Boston Landing. 

The Davis Cos. plans the project at 1240 Soldiers Field Road and 1234 Soldiers Field Road, which it acquired from the Skating Club of Boston for a combined $40.45 million in 2017 and 2018. 

The firm intends to demolish both the club and the Studio Allston hotel to make way for its new residential and hotel project.

The Skating Club is building a facility in Norwood, which is scheduled to be complete this summer. It sold the Soldiers Field Road property to The Davis Cos. to finance the new facility.

The Davis Cos. plans to build a 535-unit apartment complex with 10,500 square feet of ground-floor commercial space and parking for 220 vehicles at 1240 Soldiers Field Road. 

On the adjacent parcel, it’s planning 120 condominiums, a 255-room hotel, a 110-space underground parking garage and 4,000 square feet of commercial space. The parking garage will have the ability to accommodate up to 185 vehicles utilizing an automated stacker system if needed.

The company is also pitching 72,000 square feet of public open space between the two parcels. 

“The Project will require dimensional and use zoning relief,” said Fallon. “We appreciate the BPDA’s assistance thus far in providing feedback in the early planning stages of the Project.”

5 Copley Place Tower to Rise 52 Stories

Simon Property Group is preparing for construction of a 52-story tower at 5 Copley Place that would be one of the largest residential buildings in Boston. The project will create 542 residences, a 40,000 SF addition to the Neiman Marcus store, a glass-enclosed garden and 75,000 square feet of new retail and restaurant space at the corner of Dartmouth and Stuart streets.  The $500 million private investment will put 1,700 construction workers back on the job.

Approximately 680,000 square feet of new residential space will be above the existing building, situated across from the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s Back Bay Station.

The building’s 433 rental apartments and 109 condos will be housed in a slender 52-story tower designed by Elkus Manfredi Architects, and include 71 affordable housing units.

The plans call for a lap pool on the 6th floor, a 7th floor sky lobby and deck, garage parking spaces and secure bike storage.

At 569 feet, the skyscraper will be the second tallest residential building in Boston, behind the soon-to-be constructed, Four Seasons Tower.

The project will include a large 40,000 square-foot addition to the to the Neiman Marcus store, followed by a complete renovation of the existing 115,000-square-foot store - which will not close during construction.

It will also include additional space for smaller-scale retail shops and restaurants, with a “public winter garden” at the Stuart Street plaza. The developer has also committed up to $1 million towards new public art and $250,000 to Southwest Corridor Park.

The project will build on the strengths of the existing Copley Place complex at Stuart and Dartmouth Streets and infuse an already successful retail destination with an inspired and dynamic mixed-use development.

“The expansion of Neiman Marcus and Copley Place strengthens our retail destination in the Back Bay and contributes to the City’s economic vitality,” according to a press release. “The project will enhance the urban fabric of the neighborhood and be a striking addition to the city’s skyline.”

The project attracted controversy when state representatives accused the Governor of violating a 1997 agreement by signing a revised lease with the developer before city and state regulators could review its impacts on area residents.

Some neighbors have raised concerns, for example, that the project will add to the high winds and shadows thrown off by other skyscrapers in the area.

However, the developer has stressed that the tower would not significantly increase wind in the area, and would only cast minimal new shadows on surrounding open spaces.

It also said it has rotated the tower from its initial orientation on the site and made several other design changes “to minimize environmental impacts, provide improvements to the public realm, and greatly enhance the overall pedestrian experience.”

Built by Chicago-based Urban Investment and Development, Copley Place was at the time the largest mixed-use project in the country. It was criticized by neighbors and some public officials for the way its hulking buildings towered over town houses in the South End.

The original $500 million project eventually included the Westin and Marriott hotels, four office buildings, a shopping mall, 100 apartments, and a 1,400-space parking garage.

The existing building at Copley Place consists of parking, three levels of retail and seven floors of office space.

The new design will transform the brick-paved plaza entrance to Neiman Marcus into a multi-story atrium with a glass facade

The new tower would fill out the last undeveloped parcels in Copley Place, which was initially built in the 1980s over the Massachusetts Turnpike roadway and ramps, and on a former railroad yard.

Simon initially proposed the project in June 2008, but put it on hold when the recession dried up funding for big projects.

The company resurrected the project last year and construction is expected to last 3 years.

  

740-Ft Glass Tower Will Be Boston's Third Tallest

A developer has plans to build one of Boston’s tallest buildings in downtown’s Financial District. The 740-foot glass tower will include a 300-room hotel, offices, retail space, a restaurant and 150 luxury condominium units.  Costing as much as $900 million to build, the 900,000-SF skyscraper will add a new showpiece to Boston’s rapidly changing skyline.

The building would be the tallest building in the downtown area and will include a 300-room hotel, retail space, offices, and up to 150 condominiums on the upper floors.

The tower proposal comes during one of the most dynamic periods of construction in the city’s history, as numerous skyscrapers aim to alter the Boston skyline.

At 740 feet, the angular skyscraper would be Boston’s third-tallest structure, behind the 750-foot Prudential building and the 790-foot John Hancock Tower.

An office building at 133 Federal Street would be combined with the new tower at ground level to create a 72,000-square-foot lobby with restaurants and shops.

The complex, called 111 Federal Street will rise on one of the Financial District’s last major development sites, replacing the city-owned Winthrop Square parking garage presently on the site.

Before work can proceed, developer Steve Belkin must negotiate a deal to buy the property from the city.

The dilapidated garage at 111-115 Federal Street will be demolished and replaced with glass storefronts and modern lobbies for the offices and a luxury hotel.

Former Mayor Thomas Menino selected Steve Belkin to redevelop the property in 2006, but the project failed to attract enough tenants amid the economic downturn.

The original plan called for a 1,000-foot office tower, but that proposal was rejected because it would have interfered with air traffic. The new proposal calls for a tower 260 feet shorter.

The building will be one of only a few towers built in the densely packed Financial District since the 1980s. In recent years, tech companies, restaurants and retailers have brought new life to the area.

The project, designed by Boston-based CBT Architects, is expected to begin construction sometime later this year.

#4 STORY OF 2019

2-Building Project will Bring 250 Apartments to Hyde Park 

A large two-building development is set to rise near the Readville commuter station, bringing with it 250 new apartments.

Boston-based Noannet Group is developing the project at 36-40 Sprague Street in Boston’s Hyde Park section.

The original plan called for a much bigger development - a four-building campus with 521 housing units, including condos, and features such as co-working space and a big steel-frame sign reading “Readville” to trumpet that area of Hyde Park.

Local opposition resisted the original proposal and led to curtailments that eventually resulted in the two-building, 250-unit project that the Boston Planning and Development Agency approved in mid-September. 

Current plans call for just two, five story residential buildings with 14,000 square feet of ground floor retail space, and 3,000 square feet for community space.

The residential component will consist of 110 one-bedroom apartments, 88 two-bedroom units, 44 studios, and eight three-bedroom apartments. Thirty-two units will be set aside for lower income tenants.

Amenities will include a fitness center, a courtyard, and a daycare facility, as well as parking for 251 vehicles.

The developer is providing new traffic signals to the area as part of the project. It was traffic that fueled opposition to the original proposal, with residents concerned about more cars on the Readville roads. 

Hyde Park is one of the few affordable neighborhoods left in the Boston area, with average rents around $1,750 for one-bedroom apartment.

#3 STORY OF 2019

New Apt Complex Next to South Bay Shopping Center

The neighborhood around South Bay is changing fast. And next up could be a large apartment building at 173 Boston Street in Dorchester that would include about 400 units.

Developer Bass Realty has filed plans with the Boston Planning & Development Agency, for a five-story apartment building on the site of a Verizon service center and a neighboring warehouse at 15 Enterprise Street. 

Bass Realty has owned the buildings since the mid-1990s as industrial property. 

The four acre project would include about 400 units in three wings, along with nearly two acres of publicly accessible open space, as well as a one-way street that would cut through, connecting Boston Street and South Bay. 
A
The project will also include 18,000 square feet of commercial space, a 260-space underground parking garage, and 25 on-street parking spaces. 

The development site is next door to the recently opened expansion of the huge South Bay shopping center, which added 475 apartments, a movie theater, and a more pedestrian-oriented street grid, to its big-box stores and enormous parking lot. 

This new project will knit that expansion more neatly into the neighborhood to the south and east.

The owners of South Bay envision eventually redeveloping the entire 50-acre shopping complex to feel more like a traditional mixed-use neighborhood, though plans for that are still in early stages.

#2 STORY OF 2019

3-Building Project in North Quincy to Create 610 Apartments

The Abby, a three-building apartment complex set on a 7.2-acre parking lot adjacent to the Red Line stop, will bring 610 apartments to North Quincy.

The project being developed by Maryland-based Bozzuto Development Company will include 45,000 square feet of retail space, including a Target, as well as a parking garage with 1,314 spaces. 

All of the buildings in the project—named for first lady Abigail Adams, will be connected.

Quincy is seeing a wave of development near its Red Line stops to its proximity to Boston. The Abby is under 25 minutes from Cambridge’s Kendall Square on the Red Line and 15 minutes from Boston’s South Station. The site is also about a mile from I-93.

The complex, designed by Icon Architects, is scheduled to wrap in phases. The first phase includes the garage, which is slated to be ready in summer 2020; Building A, which is scheduled for completion in spring 2021, with 218 apartments and the 40,000-square-foot Target store.

Building B is scheduled to wrap in summer 2021, with 137 apartments and 2,500 square feet of retail space, as well as 219 surface parking spaces.

The second phase will include a 255-unit Building C, which will also have 2,500 square feet of retail space and 130 parking spots for residents. 

Amenities at the Abby will include a fitness center, a solarium, a lounge, a dog spa, a bike-repair area, two landscaped courtyards, and electric-vehicle charging stations.

The development team is also donating $4.8 million to Quincy’s affordable housing trust as well as to public space improvements at North Quincy High School and nearby streets and sidewalks.

#1 STORY OF 2019

$400M+ Raffles Hotel & Condos to Rise in Back Bay 

A huge 33-story, $400 million+ Raffles Hotel and Residences will soon begin to rise at 40 Trinity Place in Back Bay. 

The Saunders Hotel Group and the Noannet Group landed a $314 million construction loan in July.

The 154-room Raffles Hotel and 146 Raffles Condominiums will replace the current Boston Common Hotel & Conference Center, an eight-story, 85,000-square-foot building featuring 64 hotel rooms and a 13,650-square-foot conference facility.

The new tower is planned to rise 33 stories, and will also include restaurant and retail space as well as expansion space for the adjacent University Club. 

Amenities will include a two-story sky lobby perched high above Copley Square, six food and beverage venues, a state-of-the-art Raffles Spa with a 20-meter indoor pool and fitness club, conference rooms, a grand ballroom, and a rooftop garden terrace and lounge.

The project will provide over $22 million in public benefits in total, including street and public realm improvements, seven on-site affordable housing units and a contribution of over $13 million that will support additional affordable housing in Boston.

The hotel will be the first mixed-use property in North America for the world-renowned and iconic hospitality brand, and is expected to thematically reflect Boston—as other Raffles hotels in places such as Paris, Singapore, and the Seychelles reflect their locales.

The tower—officially named Raffles Boston Back Bay Hotel & Residences— will be built to LEED Gold sustainability specifications and is scheduled to open in 2022. 

Massive Columbia Point Mixed-Use Development

A massive 20-acre development covering more than 2.5 million square feet located on Dorchester’s Columbia Point will soon begin breaking ground along the Harborwalk overlooking Boston Harbor. 

The building site was formerly home to the now-demolished Bayside Expo Center, located three miles from Downtown Boston, just steps from the MBTA Red Line and only minutes to Interstate 93.

UMass Boston, the site’s owner, has hired a development partner to transform the site into a modern-day Harvard Square, planning for up to 3.4 million square feet of mixed-use development.

The university has big plans for the new neighborhood which will be integrated with the existing UMass Boston campus and includes academic, research, retail, residential, dining, entertainment, and cultural uses.

New buildings and landscapes are to take full advantage of the site’s waterfront location and maximize public access to the waterfront. 

Additionally, the project will replace an underground garage and create fund a new home for the nursing school.

Developer Accordia Partners recently finalized an agreement to lease the 20-acre site, signing a 99-year ground lease for the UMass Boston property with an expected value of $235 million.

The deal will provide some relief to the financially-strapped university.

Accordia was selected as the winning bid from proposals offered by 16 developers for the prime waterfront land on Columbia Point in February.

All the new buildings will feature state-of-the-art energy efficiency and be LEED certified. 

The entire project is expected be under construction for about 10 years.

Seaport Square Project Changes from Residential to Offices

The Boston Planning and Development Agency has approved WS Development’s plan to switch plans for its project at 350 Summer Street in Seaport Square from a residential conversion to 384,000 square feet of office and lab space.

Per the developer’s original September request, the building will be comprised of approximately 384,000 square feet of office and/or research and development uses and about 38,000 square feet of restaurant, entertainment, and retail space.

The building had been slated to host 350,000 square feet of residential and 72,000 square feet of restaurant-entertainment-retail.

WS Development has a potential office tenant lined up already too. Foundation Medicine, a Cambridge-based life sciences firm that has already leased 580,000 square feet at WS’ under-construction 400 Summer Street for its new headquarters, has a right of first refusal to take space in 350 Summer Street as well.

The project is the latest major life sciences-related real estate move in the Boston region. 

New projects from Somerville to Watertown and different parts of Boston, including South Boston and Allston, have been drawing interest from numerous biotech firms. 

No surprise, given the industry’s presence regionally—but still notable given that all these projects have been proposed in just the past 12 months.

The shift at 350 Summer Street has raised concerns about the loss of residential units in a Seaport District—and a Boston—that needs housing of all kinds. 

WS said that it would still build the approximately 3,200 units it originally proposed for Seaport Square, in part by shifting the mix of unit types to include smaller, lower-priced units and fewer large luxury units.