South Station Tower
Boston, MA

http://www.hines.com/toolkit_images/Project%20Photos/South%20Station/South%20Station%20Rendering_lres_web.jpg
Hines

The South Station development will consist of the completion of the South Station Transportation Center at the lower levels of the project, plus the addition of a 49-story, 920,000-square-foot office tower, a 200-room hotel, a 150-unit residential condominium building, a nine-story, 455,000-square-foot office building, and parking for approximately 900 cars.

Important considerations in the master plan were the preservation of the historic South Station Head House building; the linkage of the existing train station and bus terminal; and the ability to facilitate future pedestrian access to the waterfront.


http://www.anefian.com/aznefian_yahoo_com/2008_08_25_050_South_Station__Boston_architecture_european_classic.jpg
The venerable c.1899 South Station, a major rail hub for Boston and the region.

any renders or construction pics?

is this it?

http://cache.boston.com/bonzai-fba/Third_Party_Photo/2006/06/29/1151582522_1271.jpg

"By Thomas C. Palmer Jr., Globe Staff | June 29, 2006

The South Station area will see monumental changes over the next decade, as a development team led by Hines Interests LP yesterday received the go-ahead to build a 40-story glass office tower, hotel, and other buildings on a block now dominated by trains and buses.

Hines, along with its development partner, TUDC LLC, a subsidiary of Tufts University, intends to begin construction next year on the first phase of a decade-long build-out, 1.76 million square feet of air space over South Station and above and along the adjacent bus terminal.

When complete, the connected complex of buildings will include a sleek tower designed by famed architect Cesar Pelli, a 200-room hotel, condominiums, office space, stores, and 943 parking spaces. It will cost an estimated $800 million.

Some $40 million will be spent on transportation improvements that will almost double the size of the bus terminal. Subway, commuter rail, and bus areas will be more directly connected to each other, juxtaposed with separate spaces and entrances for the condos, hotel, offices, and parking.

Construction on the complex, which has been about nine years in the planning, will begin at a time when the idea of building housing in combination with office and commercial space near transportation nodes -- so-called transit-oriented development -- is popular in Massachusetts.
Photo Gallery Towers of Boston
Take a look at the buildings that make up the Hub's ever growing skyline.

``This is in my view transit-oriented development on steroids," Dan Wilson, executive director of the transportation group Move Massachusetts, said at a recent meeting about the South Station project.

Yesterday, the Boston Zoning Commission approved changes sought by the developers, the final approval they needed before beginning construction.

David Perry, senior vice president of Houston-based Hines, said he plans to start construction on the first of three phases -- the Pelli tower and transportation improvements -- next year, assuming a tenant can be found for a significant amount of space in the tower.

The Boston office market is steadily improving, and no significant new space is currently being built, though several projects are in various stages of planning. Perry said the renewed demand for office space and completion of a long approval process, which saw many changes to the project, happen to coincide.

``Our planning process has been almost a decade," he said in a recent interview. ``You have to believe in the city and the strength of this location, knowing you have very little control over the timing of the outcome."

A chiseled glass tower, designed by Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects of New Haven will be erected over the back portion of the commuter-rail platform, away from Atlantic Avenue. It was moved from an earlier planned location above the South Station building itself, and is slender so as to reduce effects on the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway and the Fort Point Channel area.

``This tower has been sculpted to minimize shadows," Perry said.

The initial development plans for the site called for more than 2 million square feet of additional development over the station, including a 759-foot-high tower, which at the time was criticized as too tall. Yesterday's zoning approval allows a 621-foot tower with 40 floors of office space -- or 41 floors at the same height if the developer chooses to substitute residential condos for some of the office space.

Phases two and three would include residences, a hotel, and a nine-floor office building.

Elkus/Manfredi Architects Ltd. of Boston is designing the hotel and residences. All of the new buildings would have lobbies or public spaces several floors above the transportation levels, accessible by shuttle elevators in lobbies facing Atlantic Avenue.

Although the tower was criticized as too high when it was proposed in 1998, the response to Hines executives' changes through the years has been positive at recent public meetings. ``This is a big improvement," said Ann Hershfang, a member of WalkBoston, a pedestrian advocacy group.

The tower would be the tallest in Boston since 46-floor One International Place went up in 1987."





...or not?

Yup, that is it, although the number of stories is 49, not 40 as that article says.

Very elegant! Nice! glad to see Boston having a sort of boom!

The office vacancy rate it about 4% and they are about to have a bunch of high-rises going up. I know it's been asked, how can I post pics?

Copy the image adress of whatever image you want to post then click on the little pic that looks like a mountain with a sun on the lower part of the right side of the post reply. Paste the adress in that and that should post the image.

Unrelated question:

What is going on at this site near south station? its going on at the corner of south and essex street right near south street station. I found htis pic from "goodharbor" on Flickr on the construction . I would really like to know what it will be:

http://flickr.com/photos/goodharbor/1410156200/

When is this thing going to get underway already ?

When is this thing going to get underway already ?

Construction on this has already started. I'll try to get pics over the next couple of weeks.

Construction on this has already started. I'll try to get pics over the next couple of weeks.

Oh, sorry. Missed that. Great news!

Unrelated question:

What is going on at this site near south station? its going on at the corner of south and essex street right near south street station. I found htis pic from "goodharbor" on Flickr on the construction . I would really like to know what it will be:

http://flickr.com/photos/goodharbor/1410156200/

A small 12 story building. Nothing special.

The office vacancy rate it about 4% and they are about to have a bunch of high-rises going up. I know it's been asked, how can I post pics?

4 percent.. jeez thats lower than in manhattan. Boston really needs more office space.

thats a nice glass beauty that will fit in nicely with boston!

nice building, happy to see something is going up in Boston, although it is already a perfect city as it is now...wonderful!

Very nice Boston!

any condo projects for Boston?

any condo projects for Boston?

There is a 31 story, aprox 325 feet, tower called 45 Province going up right now. I have to start a new thread for that one. There is a 35 story proposed next to the Prudential Tower, but people are putting up a fight because of the shadows it may cause. The condo market has cooled a bit for Boston but the office market is heating up, so most of the new highrises will be for office use.

i need to swing by South Station, didnt know there was development there. Is it true that a Marriott is going to be part of the Filene's Tower?

Holy moly they're starting to build this thing? Damn, I've been waiting for, like, 7 years for them to start this!

Though the version they had back then was taller, with a spire. :(

Any construction pics?

I personaly like the previous scheme better. I feel that it maybe have been taller, and it would have made a stronger, more elegant gesture on the skyline.

what did the previous scheme look like???

Previous:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/70/SouthStationTowerOriginal.jpg

Exactly, I feel that it is much nicer. But maybe I am to romantic! I just wish that the latest scheme was more expressive. Also how do I post pics?

Here's how to upload your pics and get them showing here

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=339254

So are we getting some update pics from Boston from you now ??

Sorry, no updates from me in Boston, but I can update from nyc. I will be moving back to Boston in the future, then I will be updating everyone.

I was at South Station on Saturday, and sadly, nothing worth taking any pics of.
This is what it looks like now.
http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w294/cojapo/IMG_2542.jpg

So why is this listed 'u/c' ?

I think they are reinforcing the old building right now. Moreso prep than U/C i guess.

I think they are reinforcing the old building right now. Moreso prep than U/C i guess.

You are right. I guess I should have said prep, not U/C. My bad!:bash:

any updates on this?

any updates on this?

This should break ground in the next month or two, according to a local newspaper. This has been one of those projects that has taken forever to get going. They've been doing some prep work for the last few months. It's been painful waiting for this. I just want to see it get out of the ground!!

This should break ground in the next month or two, according to a local newspaper. This has been one of those projects that has taken forever to get going. They've been doing some prep work for the last few months. It's been painful waiting for this. I just want to see it get out of the ground!!

Thanks. I know what you mean.

any new updates?

no, and it's probably going to be that way for at least another 5 years. Most likely the project is dead, there's been no news on it for over a year.

~ Bump!

An $850 million plan to return South Station to bygone glory (http://bostonglobe.com/metro/2013/02/23/south-station-critical-component-patrick-transportation-plan/0fl7cDPw6XAq0vJNYi5zAP/story.html)

http://www.bostonglobe.com/rf/image_r/Boston/2011-2020/2013/02/23/BostonGlobe.com/Metro/Images/station-4217.r.jpg


When South Station opened in 1899, it had 28 tracks that sprawled from Atlantic Avenue to Fort Point Channel. Today, with only 13 tracks, trains idle outside the station while they wait for other trains to vacate berths, causing maddening delays.

Governor Deval Patrick wants to change that with an $850 million South Station expansion project, one of the major components of his sweeping transportation plan that includes projects across the state costing billions. Patrick is preparing to brief State House leaders and committee leaders on the plan next Tuesday, as legislators begin to debate the tax increases he has proposed to help pay for it.

There are vocal critics of a South Station expansion. But on the governor’s lengthy list of what many view as pipe dreams and long shots, the South Station expansion is one being pushed hardest — and one that is considered more likely than most to succeed.

Governor Deval Patrick’s South Station plans call for adding new tracks to the station’s existing 13, which would require relocating a US Postal Service facility currently on Dorchester Avenue. “It’s one of the stronger components of the plan,” said state Senator Robert Hedlund, a Weymouth Republican, who takes issue with many components of Patrick’s plan but said he knows that overcrowding at South Station is causing problems.

‘There are major benefits for the long-term competitiveness of the city.’

Richard A. Davey, the state’s transportation secretary, said he believes the South Station project is one of the strongest and most persuasive elements of the plan. “I am confident,” Davey said Friday when asked whether state legislators would support that element of the governor’s plan. “South Station really isn’t a choice.”

The governor’s South Station proposal calls for adding at least seven tracks to the station’s existing 13, requiring relocation of the adjacent US Postal Service’s General Mail Facility along Dorchester Avenue.

The governor’s proposal would reclaim that waterfront property.

http://c.o0bc.com/rf/image_539o215/Boston/2011-2020/2013/02/22/Boston.com/ReceivedContent/Images/ssrender1.jpg
Preliminary renderings of anticipated development on Atlantic Avenue and over the existing rail station.

[...]


South Station Tower still alive and on the boards! :cheers:

I'm still amazed that the city doesn't have a North Station-South Station link. Boston really needs both that and this expansion; hopefully the necessary funding will turn up.