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Description
The Christian Science Plaza has been a local fixture for more than a century. The area currently features around 10 acres of free space and seven buildings. Initially announced in early 2013, this two-tower development adjacent to the city's Christian Science Plaza promises some of the highest buildings to spring up in Boston in decades. With a 58-story centerpiece accompanied by another building stretching 20 floors skyward, this project is set to give a lesser-used public space a fresh new look.
The two towers aren't the only planned shakeups for the space next to the well-known plaza and the nearby Prudential Center. The entire 14.8-acre zone earned regulatory approval for a redesign in 2011.
This neighborhood contains the city's biggest public area under private ownership. The fact that the new buildings' shadows won't block the sun in the open zone played a role in its approval; developers worked to keep the space accessible to pedestrians and visitors.
The new plan originally allowed room for three spires, but the nearby First Church of Christ, Scientist, which owns the land, had yet to choose a developer for the third building as of late 2013.
It remains unknown whether the proposed Huntington Avenue edifice will ever materialize. The church's original goal was for the development to generate sufficient revenue to make the property self-sustaining, and the scaled-back plan could just do the trick. This plan may also permit future development and cultivate additional investment opportunities.
What's in store for the two buildings currently in progress? The taller of the pair will feature a number of characteristics designed to attract high-end consumers and investors with deep pockets. These include around 170 residential units and a hotel with 250 rooms. The residences will mostly be condominiums, and they'll be accompanied by an array of boutiques and shops that have yet to be announced. The initial plan left some open retail space, so plenty of exciting things are sure to develop.
The second building will devote its 20 or so floors to more retail space and apartments. Like the city's other approved builds, 15 percent of the project's residential units could be affordable housing. Some parties have also pushed for an alternate solution to better bolster the availability of living accommodations in the neighborhood.
Restructuring the Plaza
The layout of the plaza will change in a number of ways as part of the new development. A lane of Belvidere Street, for instance, will be devoted to through vehicles merging onto Dalton Street in an attempt to facilitate traffic to the larger building. Clearway Street will receive an extension to Belvidere to allow easier entry into the building's lading area and parking garage.
The project is also expected to result in a new public park at the intersection of Dalton Street and St. Germain Street. This could ultimately serve to beautify the area and attract more visitors to its retail improvements.
What Makes the Towers Unique?
Sources like the Boston Globe reported as early as 2006 that the church had made plans to increase development in the plaza without success. At a 2013 Boston Redevelopment Authority meeting, however, the project gained vocal support from numerous stakeholders.
These developments come at a time of widespread tower growth throughout the Boston region. Nonetheless, the fact that this particular project alters the reflecting pool and the plaza was initially met with governmental opposition.
According to a 2011 report released by the city's Landmarks Commission, the Church has actually been expanding and consolidating for decades, so the need was long recognized. The sheer age of some of the existing buildings, however, necessitated further review of the plan to ensure their appearance and other qualities would be preserved. Ultimately, the fact that developers, stakeholders and officials were willing to come to terms may have been what permitted the project to move forward at a relatively brisk pace.
Who's Driving the Redevelopment?
The Christian Science Plaza Towers project is headed up by Cambridge's Carpenter & Company, Inc. This real estate developer, founded in 1898, maintains a portfolio of hotel, retail and mixed-use projects in San Francisco, Cambridge, Boston, Braintree and other cities. Its regional properties of note include:
- Charles Hotel
- Hilton Boston Logan Airport
- Hanover Inn Dartmouth College
- Westin Boston Waterfront
Carpenter isn't the only member of the development team intimately familiar with the surroundings. The founders of New York's Pei Cobb Freed & Partners, one of the architects, were responsible for the plaza's redesign in the 1960s and the nearby John Hancock Tower in 1976.
Overall, this development should arm Back Bay with an upscale response to the other edifices rising around town. Boston's continued urban density growth and the ever-increasing demand for usable space promises to keep the neighborhood moving forward while projects like Christian Science Plaza Towers thrive.
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