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Mayor Menino Announces Copley Place Expansion Approved by BRA Board

Nov 18, 2011

Private investment / Total project cost: $500 million Total square footage of expansion:785,000 square feet Number of jobs:
  • construction jobs: 1,700
  • permanent jobs once built: approx 270
Housing: 318 residences, including 10 on site affordable, and 38 in the South End and Back Bay The BRA board unanimously approved the expansion of Copley Place, a $500 million private investment that will put 1,700 construction workers back on the job.  The new 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 includes 75,000 square feet of new retail, restaurant space, and a public atrium. A 40,000 square foot addition will be made to the existing 115,000 square foot Neiman Marcus retail space, and 670,000 square feet of new residential space will be constructed.  Approximately 785,000 of new square footage will be added to the existing building. The approximately 318 residential units will be housed in a slender 47-story tower, which will be the tallest residential building in Boston at 625 feet.  The developer, Simon Property Group, will create 48 new affordable housing units, including 10 on site. 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 façade welcoming pedestrians into an indoor garden and channeling visitors to the retail stores. Simon Property Group has committed to developing a landscaping plan for the Southwest Corridor Park that incorporates active uses along with a $250,000 contribution to the park.  The developer has also committed up to $1 million towards new public art and $250,000 to the Friends of Copley Square. The project will generate approximately $7.2 million in annual property tax revenue and is expected to break ground in fall 2012 with an estimated construction time of 3 years. The development team includes developer Simon Property Group, development project manager Collaborative Partners, Elkus Manfredi Architects, permitting consultants Epsilon Associates, and legal counsel Rubin and Rudman LLP. Copley Place was built on air rights parcels above the Mass Pike in the early 1980s, and helped to bridge the South End and Back Bay, resulting in significant contributions to urban design and stimulating economic growth in Boston.

Related Tags

Back Bay Copley Copley Place Housing mixed use Retail 

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