Five Boston Mega-Projects to Watch in 2015

If you have ever been stuck in rush hour traffic, you know Greater Boston is in the midst of a major building boom. The signs are everywhere, from exposed steel for super tall skyscrapers such as the Millennium Tower to large cranes for massive apartment complexes on the waterfront.
 

But some of the Boston’s largest projects are still waiting to get underway, including the Fenway Center mega-project and the big-time redevelopment of the Harbor Garage.

Large developments such as the Residences @ Malden Station and the Roxbury Innovation Center show us how widely the real estate boom is reverberating.

Here’s a list of five Big Projects to watch in 2015:

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1. Fenway Center

     Commonwealth & Brookline Avenues
     Boston, MA 02215

This much delayed mega-project, with its five buildings and several hundred apartments plus commercial space, may, in fact, finally get under way this year. Developer John Rosenthal is in the midst of a partnership deal that could jumpstart development.

[see ElectricWeb-Boston | June 16, 2014]

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2. One Seaport Square 

     1 Seaport Lane      
     Boston, MA 02210

The 1.1 million-square-foot project broke ground in mid-November and will include two 22-story towers, called the Benjamin and VIA, with 832 apartments total. It is the first residential phase of the larger Seaport Square project.

[see ElectricWeb-Boston | Sept 15, 2014]

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3. Harbor Garage Towers

     70 East India Row
     Boston, MA 02110

Plans for this long-delayed redevelopment call for two towers, rising up to 650 and 550 feet. The complex will host hundreds of condos and hotel rooms, 700,000 square feet of office space and amenities such as an all-seasons plaza for the public.

[see ElectricWeb-Boston | Aug 28, 2014]

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4. Assembly Row

     Artisan Way 
     Somerville, MA 02145

Somerville's mega-mixed-use project is already slated to include more than 2,000 housing units and dozens of retail stores and a new Orange Line stop.

Plans, however, emerged toward the tail end of 2014 to basically double the size of Assembly Row and basically add more of everything.

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5. Six New Street 

     6 New Street   
     Boston, MA 02128 

This 4-acre complex broke ground in late December and is slated to create 259 new apartments along the Eastie waterfront with a ton of extras, including a water taxi dock. It's a big win for the waterfront and an indication that more development will follow.

  

Government Center Redevelopment: 6 Buildings, $1 Billion +

Developers plan to construct a huge 528-foot glass skyscraper at the corner of Congress and New Sudbury streets. The curvy 47-story tower would be the centerpiece of a Government Center redevelopment project, where builders are preparing to construct a cluster of high-rises to replace portions of the Government Center Garage.

The project, estimated to cost well over $1 billion, will include construction of three high-rises and three smaller buildings containing more than 2.3 million square feet of commercial and residential space.

The project will begin with a 42-story residential tower with 450 rental and condominium units, followed by removal of the part of the garage that hangs over Congress Street and the construction of the 47-story office building. The developer wants to begin construction later this year.

The new office tower, designed by architect Cesar Pelli, would be an unusually dramatic building for Boston, a city that has shied away from the kind of eye-popping architecture that defines the skylines of other major cities.

In all, the project would result in six buildings containing 2.3 million square feet of commercial and residential space.

Three high-rises would be built on the western portion of the site, and three smaller buildings would be built along the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway.

 A retail plaza would create a new connection between the Greenway and Canal Street.

While the portion of the garage above the street would be demolished, the core of the building at Congress and New Sudbury would remain, preserving 1,100 parking spaces. That part of the garage would be hidden behind the new high-rises.

The development has received approval from the Boston Redevelopment Authority, but plans for each building must also be approved by the agency’s design commission. BRA director Brian Golden has offered strong support for the project.

“The redevelopment of the Government Center Garage site will reshape the downtown skyline in a way that few projects can,” he said. “We welcome a creative approach to its design and look forward to working with the architecture team to review their proposal more carefully.”

Developer Tom O’Brien, a principal of HYM Investment Group, said the project’s architecture is meant to call attention to the vast change it would bring to the city’s downtown.

He noted that it would remove one of the area’s worst eyesores, a relic of the Urban Renewal Era, and reconnect the Bulfinch Triangle to the North End and Beacon Hill.

Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects of New Haven is collaborating on the design with CBT Architects of Boston.

The project's primary investor is the National Electrical Benefit Fund.

Boston is experiencing a burst of real estate development, transforming much of its downtown and outlying neighborhoods. A retail and condominium tower is under construction at the former Filene’s site in Downtown Crossing. Additional towers are being proposed at Winthrop Square in the Financial District and at the site of the Harbor Garage on Atlantic Avenue.

In the Bulfinch Triangle, Related Beal is building a new headquarters for Converse Inc., and Boston Properties plans to construct a series of towers in front of the TD Garden.

Lutron’s Commercial Energy Codes, Controls and LEDs Seminar

Lutron’s Commercial Energy Codes, Controls and LEDs Roadshow Comes to Boston!

Lutron goes on the road to empower electrical contractors and engineers to exceed customers’ increasingly diverse LED controlling demands while complying with the latest energy codes.

Lutron Electronics, will visit 10 major markets in 2015 with a brand new seminar that will help electrical contractors and engineers better meet the increasingly diverse demands of customers, while complying with rapidly-changing energy codes.

The Commercial Energy Codes, Controls and LEDs Seminar will present attendees with impactful information and tools that will dramatically simplify the design, specification and installation of LED lighting controls in an increasingly energy-regulated world.

“We understand how difficult it can be to stay on top of all of the latest advancements and changing regulations in the lighting and LED controls space. As a trusted advisor to our customers, we wanted to help untangle the information that is out there in a straightforward and informative way. That’s the precise intent of our Commercial Energy Codes, Controls and LEDs Seminar,” said Rick Angel, Senior Vice-President at Lutron.

National, state and local energy legislation is constantly changing making it challenging for industry professionals to stay on top of the latest direction of energy codes and energy-saving products. Electrical contractors and engineers are working on more and more major renovation and new commercial construction projects demanding that they be at the forefront of energy efficient products, including LED lighting control systems. Understanding the great need for information and guidance in this area, Lutron created the Commercial Energy Codes, Controls and LEDs Seminar to provide customers with information they can trust to help grow their businesses.

View training locations and schedule >

Lutron’s Commercial Energy Codes, Controls & LEDs Seminar will visit 10 major markets:

1.      Washington, D.C. - March 3
2.      New York – March 10
3.      Miami – March 12
4.      Houston - March 24
5.      Dallas - March 26
6.      Boston - March 31
7.      San Francisco - April 21
8.      Los Angeles - April 23
9.      Chicago - May 14
10.    Atlanta - May 21

For more information, contact your local Lutron Representative or email sales@lutron.com.
  

Copley Place Tower to Rise 52-Stories Over Neiman Marcus

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 hopes to break ground by the end of this year. Construction is expected to last 3 years.

  

$700M Residential Tower To Be New England’s Tallest

Construction will soon get underway on a $700 million, 61-story tower, to be built on the edge of Christian Science Plaza, at Belvidere and Dalton streets. The new 699-foot skyscraper, which will include 250-room Four Seasons hotel and 180 luxury condominiums, will be the tallest residential tower in New England. The 950,000-square-foot plaza redevelopment project will also include a 26-story residential tower with 255 apartments. Cambridge-based developer Carpenter and Company plans to break ground on the project next week, with construction expected to wrap up in 2017.

The 61-story tower, located at 1 Dalton Street in the Back Bay, will be designed by Henry Cobb, the same architect who designed the John Hancock Tower in the 1970s.

His firm, Pei Cobb Freed & Partners of New York, also designed the Christian Science Plaza and its signature reflecting pool.

The 712,500 square foot Back Bay tower, along with the adjacent 237,500 square foot residential building, will be located at the corner of Belvidere and Dalton Streets.

The 699-foot building is crafted in the shape of an equilateral triangle with rounded corners, a form designed to complement the adjacent Christian Science Church, which was built in 1896.

One Dalton Street will stand 91 feet shorter than the city's tallest structure, but will surpass the Millennium Tower and the tower set to rise at 5 Copley Square - both slated for 625 feet - as the city’s tallest residential building.

Overall, the skyscraper will be the third-tallest structure in Boston, behind the750-foot Prudential Tower and the John Hancock Tower, which stands 790 feet.

The 250-room Four Seasons will occupy the first 20 floors of the building, and 180 ultra high-end condominiums will be spread across the upper 40. The Four Seasons will continue to manage its existing hotel on Boylston Street.

The new Four Seasons is designed to complement the existing hotel on Boylston Street. It will have smaller ballrooms and conference spaces, offering more of a boutique luxury product

The tower will include two restaurants, two lounges, and a health club and spa.

Its residences are certain to be among the most expensive in the city, challenging the Mandarin Oriental and new units under construction at Fan Pier.

The Four Seasons is designed to complement the existing hotel on Boylston Street. It will have smaller ballrooms and conference spaces, offering more of a boutique luxury product

The project’s master developer is Cambridge-based Carpenter & Co., which also developed Boston’s Liberty Hotel and the Charles Hotel in Cambridge.

The project will fill a void between some of the Back Bay’s most significant properties.

“Right now, the Christian Science Plaza and the Prudential Center sit next to each other, but don’t talk to each other,” said Cobb, a Boston native.

“This project will be a new connection and bring this very important part of the city to life.”

The First Church of Christ, Scientist has been lobbying for a redesign for years.

Much of the reason is financial: Profitable real estate would make the site self-sustaining, so that donations to the church can be put more directly toward its mission.

The church also aims to bring its plaza up to date with a 21st-century approach to urban design, in which active public spaces are key.

The site attracts plenty of sightseers as the Christian Science faith’s international headquarters and a major Boston landmark, but it has not lived up to its potential.

The new project is expected to bring thousands of new residents and visitors to one of the city’s most celebrated landmarks.
 

Lighting Controls Could Save Boston $27M Annually

Earlier this year, the chair of Massachusetts' Department of Public Utilities was frank about her state’s need to come up with new solutions to unlock energy efficiency. “We haven’t really tapped the opportunity” to bring efficiency to the demand side, said chairperson Ann Berwick. New data from Retroficiency shows one domain where huge opportunity lies: commercial lighting.
 

Massachusetts and its capital city, Boston, are front-runners in energy efficiency. Boston tops the ranks of the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy’s City Energy Efficiency Scorecard, and the city also has an aggressive climate action plan to cut citywide greenhouse gas emissions 80 percent by 2050.

But even Boston could go much further. Retroficiency developed energy models for nearly 17,000 commercial buildings in Boston that spend more than $1 billion annually on energy.

The model, which is part of Retroficiency's building genome project, found that if every large hotel, retail and office building put in advanced lighting controls, they could save a combined total of $27 million every year.

The savings did not come from switching to more efficient lighting, such as LEDs, which could save even more. Instead, Retroficiency focused on modeling the outcomes of improving controls, such as having office lights on a schedule, but it did not prescribe specific controls to achieve that outcome.

The global market for lighting controls through 2020 will grow 12 percent annually, according to a report from Memoori. The lighting controls market is expected to reach $5 billion by 2020.

 

But for most businesses looking at efficiency, the continued drop in LED prices makes them a more attractive choice when considering a switch to controllable lights. Installing LED lights, along with controls and sensors, can save commercial customers up to 90 percent on lighting costs.

If the buildings modeled by Retroficiency instead installed advanced lighting and controls, the savings could go far beyond $27 million annually.

By Katherine Tweed | Greentech Media
Lighting Controls Could Save Boston $27M Annually
  

Colossal $350M Mixed-Use Development Planned for Roxbury

Tremont Crossing is a $350 million mixed use development planned for heart of Boston, consisting of retail, office, residential and arts. The 1.7 million square foot project would bring the most sweeping change to the Roxbury neighborhood in decades. Located on an 8 acre parcel across from Northeastern University and the Longwood Medical Area, the complex will feature a mix of large-format retail stacked vertically, small retail shops and restaurants fronting on Tremont Street, office space for MassDOT, 300 market rate apartments, a 200-room hotel, a museum, a large garage facility and a public plaza complete with outdoor art.
 

For years, development has been promised for Parcel 3, a vast plot of land located on Tremont Street in Roxbury near the Boston Police Department’s headquarters and Northeastern University.

Elma Lewis Partners has held onto the development rights for several years without anything happening.

Finally, due to an improving economy and due to Northeastern’s expansion, which brought a new vitality to the area, the parcel will soon become something more than a fenced-off field of weeds.

Feldco Boston, part of the development team behind Tremont Crossing, has signed a letter of intent with BJ’s Wholesale Group to lease up to 90,000 square feet in the 400,000-square foot retail section of the project. This will make it easier for them to get financing for the other parts of the project.

Tremont Crossing will eventually encompass more than 1.7 million square feet of space and include retail and restaurants, office space, a 200-room hotel, parking garage and a 19-story residential tower. Also proposed is a new home for the museum of the National Center for African-American Artists.

Tremont Crossing will include a mix of retail, office, and residential uses: 

•  404,475 square feet of large format retail, which could also have entertainment and recreational uses on 4 levels

•  33,800 square feet of space for smaller shops and boutiques fronting along Tremont Street

•  300 units of residential including studios, one bedroom and two bedroom rental apartments in a 297,800 square foot tower

•  200-room extended stay hotel encompassing 102,250 square feet

•  38,000 square feet of cultural facilities that will primarily house a new museum for the National Center for Afro-American Artists located at the center of the development

•  713,785 square feet of office space above the cultural facility

•  8-story parking structure with 1,502 spaces

•  A large public plaza, complete with sculptures and outdoor seating space

Designed by the renowned firm of Cambridge Seven Associates, the project will be built in an urban style that will be modern, environmentally-conscious and pedestrian-friendly.

Construction is estimated to last 24 months and will create approximately 670 construction jobs and 1,738 permanent jobs.