$615M Millennium Tower and Burnham Building One Step Closer to Transforming Downtown
Sep 13, 2012
The BRA Board unanimously approved the proposed Millennium Tower and Burnham Building in Downtown Crossing. The project will bring housing, office space, retail space, restaurant space, and a health club to an area undergoing a dramatic transformation. The project will preserve and renovate the Burnham Building and develop a mixed-use residential building.
“I am proud of the decisive progress being made by Millennium Partners just 8 months after announcing their lead on the Millennium Towerand Burnham Building,” said Mayor Menino. “This iconic development will invigorate the heart of our city with new residents, business owners, and private investment, solidifying the promise of Downtown Crossing.”
The keystone to this redevelopment is the restoration of the historic Burnham Building, former home of Filene’s. Originally built in the early 20th century in the Beaux Arts architectural style, the building was the only Massachusetts work and the last prominent building designed by the acclaimed architect, Daniel Burnham, the designer of Chicago’s Marshall and Field Department Store and New York City’s Flat Iron Building. The restoration will include opening up the building at the street level for office space and retail, repairing the façade, updating all systems, taking full advantage of the large windows, wide column spacing, and high ceilings to provide the kind of creative, commercial space that retailers and Boston’s urban workforce demand. The Tower, shaped as a tapered “wedge”, will present a slender profile to the west, emphasize the distinct and historic character of the restored Burnham Building, increase daylight opportunities for the Washington Streetside, and maximize daylight to offices in the BurnhamBuilding and lower floors of the Tower. Retail entryways and display windows will line the entire block of Washington Street and face Shopper’s Park on Franklin Street. Workers will enter on Summer Street, and residents will enter on Franklin Street.
Total private investment: $615 million Total sq ft: 1.2M SF Tower height: up to 625 ft Residential Units (Condominium and Rental) 600 – Mix of one, two, three, and four-bedroom units. Lobby on Franklin Street. Retail: 122,000-231,000 SF – Ground floor, complementary to existing and planned retail on Washington and Summer Streets; entryway on all streets. Office: 125,000-218,000 SF – within the Burnham Building, lobby on Summer Street. Health Club: 35,000 SF Restaurant: 10,000 SF Parking: 550 spaces via Hawley Street Streetscape improvements: $2,800,000 Jobs: 600 construction jobs and 2,300 permanent jobs
Millennium Tower and the Burnham Building will include:
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Preserving the façade of the Burnham Building, including replications of its 1912 historic canopies with 100,000 SF of retail and 185,000 SF of office space.
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Improving pedestrian and retail vitality; enhancing urban design and the architectural character of Downtown Crossing.
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Redesigning, renovating, and maintaining open space as well as contributing to the construction of an MBTA headhouse.
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Joining Boston’s first business improvement district, the Downtown BID.
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Contributing to the Crossroads Initiative by enhancing Summer Street between Washington and Hawley Streets. The project meets the 2004 Downtown Crossing Economic Improvement Initiative Program by designing a project that is a major destination for residents, shoppers, employees, and visitors.
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Locating at the transportation nexus of Boston, within walking distance of activities, Hubway, and ride sharing programs.
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Contributing up to $2,365,000 in the City’s housing linkage funds.
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Contributing up to $472,000 in the City’s jobs linkage funds.
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Generating $5.5M in real estate taxes annually.
Comparison between 2007 and 2012 projects:
|
Project Element |
Previously Approved |
Proposed Project |
|
Total SF |
1,186,000 SF |
1,185,000 SF |
|
Residential |
166 units |
600 units |
|
Office |
469,000 SF |
125,000-218,000 SF |
|
Retail |
304,500 SF |
122,000-231,000 SF |
|
Health Club |
Included within Retail |
35,000 SF |
|
Restaurant |
Included within Retail |
10,000 SF |
|
Parking |
299 spaces |
550 spaces (up to 250 public) |
|
Height |
495 feet |
Up to 625 feet |
The development team:
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Millennium Partners
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Handel Architects
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Howard/Stein-Hudson Associates
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DLA Piper
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Epsilon Associates
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Nitsch Engineering
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WSP Flack + Kurtz
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Haley & Aldrich
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RWDI
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MacRostie Historic Advisors
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Suffolk Construction
Other investments recently announced by Mayor Menino: Over $13 million in Infrastructure Investments to Downtown Boutique Lifestyle Hotel Planned for Downtown Crossing Millennium Place and The Kensington building nearly 650 residential units Flagship Walgreens Heading to Downtown Crossing