Largest Single Project in Boston's History Approved

The new 23-acre Seaport Square in the South Boston waterfront district will bring a mix of uses and ample parkland to a former railroad property.

1 minute read

October 19, 2010, 2:00 PM PDT

By Lynn Vande Stouwe


Designed by architects KPF and backed by a developer team led by Boston Global Investors, the 6.3 million square foot project will include retail, office, hotel, civic and cultural spaces, with nearly 40 percent of the site reserved for green space. The city hopes the $3 billion development will draw high-tech and creative companies and provide affordable housing.

However, some city official are concerned about handing over such a large site to a single developer, notes Ted Smalley Brown:

'While the plan's approval is encouraging, city officials are wary of getting left with acres of vacant sites should the development stall out. Indeed, Boston Global Investors CEO John Hynes III played a lead role in a condo and office tower on the site of the former Filene's department store in nearby Downtown Crossing-a project that notoriously stalled after demolition and excavation in 2008.'

Monday, October 18, 2010 in The Architect's Newspaper

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