The newest skyscraper changing Boston's skyline is finally complete after decades of planning and construction.
South Station Tower, a 51-story office and residential building constructed on top of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority's (MBTA) South Station, unveiled the project Sept. 24.
Rising 690 ft. above the city, the tower includes 166 condominiums on the top 16 floors, 680,000 sq. ft. of office space, an 11th-floor rooftop "skypark" and an expansion of the South Station bus terminal.
"Every great city tells a unique story through its skyline. Today, Boston adds a powerful new chapter," announced John Fish, CEO of Boston-based Suffolk Construction, at an unveiling ceremony on the night of Sept. 25. "This tower is so much more than just steel, glass and concrete. It's a symbol of vision, innovation and determination."
MassLive.com reported that planning for the $1.5 billion building project first began 27 years ago, when Hines, a Houston-based developer; and its architectural partner in the venture, Pelli Clarke & Partners in New Haven, Conn., signed on.
From there, though, the effort faced repeated delays, due both to financial circumstances such as the 2008 Great Recession and governmental roadblocks. For instance, the development team of Hines needed sign-offs from multiple government agencies — from working with the MBTA to reshape the train and bus station to negotiating with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) over the height of the building.
Site work finally began in 2018, followed by a groundbreaking in 2020. However, just a few weeks later the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic caused further delays, although construction work never completely halted during that time, according to MassLive.com.
"When a project spans three decades, it has the opportunity and the obligation to be better, frankly, to absorb, adjust and reflect the best of evolving societal issues," Fred Clarke, partner at Pelli Clarke & Partners, told the Massachusetts news source. "Sometimes when buildings mature, it takes a while to get done. They tend to get denatured [and] they tend to lose their soul and their vibrancy. This project got better and better and better over time."
On its website, Pelli Clarke & Partners noted that the new tower features "a faceted glass form [that], while contemporary, is sculpted to be sympathetic in massing to the historic South Station headhouse at its base."
New Tower Should Help Boston's Uptick in Office Vacancies
The condos, which start at a sale price of $1.3 million, are managed by the luxury hotel brand Ritz-Carlton. The first residents are expected to begin moving in later this fall.
To date, three office tenants have been announced: Citadel, a hedge fund management firm; FM, a Rhode Island property insurer; and the law firm of Jones Day.
Since the pandemic, commercial real estate and office buildings in particular have struggled with vacancies as office workers continue to work from home. As a result, Boston's downtown felt the effects and office vacancies led to pressure on service-oriented businesses in the areas that usually relied on foot traffic from people coming into various sections of the city during the day.
However, over the past year, this trend has begun to reverse, MassLive.com noted, leading some to become more optimistic.
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu said at the Sept. 25 event that nearly 20 companies have moved into the city's downtown since the pandemic subsided, representing approximately 9,000 new jobs over the last two and a half years, and dozens of new small businesses have helped cut the retail vacancy rate nearly in half.
Wu called South Station Tower "a crucial piece in the puzzle of a revitalized, prosperous post-pandemic downtown."
"South Station Tower is going to bring even more families, more businesses and more visitors downtown," she said. "This building is a testament to our city's mission, making Boston home for everyone."
