Builings By Skyler Johnson

“What once was a seedy parking garage or a bare strip of dirt is now a massive, beautiful skyscraper that you can see for miles.” B U I L D I N G S

If you’ve been anywhere around Boston recently, you’ve probably seen a crane or two. Buildings are popping up all over. What once was a seedy parking garage or a bare strip of dirt is now a massive, beautiful skyscraper that you can see for miles. Boston hasn’t always had these large structures. The city used to be well known for keeping with the colonial architecture, where the tallest building would be a church steeple. In the later half of the 20th century this all changed, with many of Boston’s most well-known skyscrapers being built, including 200 Clarendon and the Prudential Center. Now, with an increased demand for being close to the city, new buildings are popping up in order to satisfy demand.

Ink Block

Ink Block is one of Boston’s newest communities, which has been developed from what was once an unremarkable strip of land with office spaces and a hotel or two. It used to be the site of the Boston Herald before they switched their location, hence the name. It’s located in the South End near the Massachusetts turnpike and contains numerous amenities, including a Whole Foods and plenty of places to eat and shop. There are two new buildings being built there, including 321 Harrison Avenue, and 7Ink, located at 217 Albany Street. The first is to be an office tower sitting atop a previously built garage. The amenities will include “...signature outdoor space including an outdoor roof terrace, fitness center, on-site covered parking, full-service food and catering, and a private shuttle to and from North and South Stations.”

According to the developer’s website, 7Ink is to be Boston’s first co-living building, which essentially means it’s a very fancy dorm room without the college. It features a private, fully furnished bedroom, but all other amenities are shared, including the complimentary Wi-FI and premium cable. The building also comes with towel services, cookware and weekly housekeeping. Building is estimated to be completed in March of 2022.

Seaport

Another up-and-coming Boston neighborhood is Seaport. It used to be a parking lot and has turned into an urban center. There are a few new buildings being built. MassMutual has decided to build an office here, which is expected to cost $240 million dollars.

While this may not be exciting on its own, it is when you look at the interesting architecture of the building to be built, which will be a fully glass, ovular building near The Institute of Contemporary Art. It will certainly be a sight to behold once construction has been completed, which is expected to be in late 2021. Another interesting development is Seaport’s Block L4 which will allow for 81,000 gross square feet of retail space, encompassing two floors of the 17-floor building. It’s expected to be completed within the next few months.

Skyscrapers

If you think 17 floors is a lot, wait until you hear about what’s going down at 1 Congress Street, where a 44 floor building is being built. It will offer beautiful views of the city and will surely be a landmark due to its size and unique, wavy shape. According to the neighborhood’s website, “Rising to 600 feet, the 1 million squarefoot tower will offer unrivaled views and unparalleled visibility across the Boston skyline.” When it’s completed, you’ll be able to see it from miles away. The building will also include an acre-long landscaped terrace and a three story lobby.

In the West End District, construction is underway for a new 44-story residential building at 35 Lomasney Way, which will contain 470 apartments on top of what was once the Garden Garage. The building is estimated to be completed later this year.

In the Back Bay district, there will be a 31-story building at 40 Trinity Place which will become the luxury hotel chain Raffles’ North American location. It will contain 154 hotel rooms and 146 apartments. Raffles is known for the creation of the Singapore Sling in its original Singapore location in 1915 and for its 24 hour butler service. In Bay Village, a 19 story tower at 212 Stuart Street will feature 130 luxury rental apartments.

Of course, these buildings have their drawbacks. All of these buildings are primarily for high income patrons, having little to no care for Boston’s lower income residences. 212 Stuart street has allocated eleven apartments for “affordable” housing, but these residences make up less than ten percent of the overall residences in that location.

Revitalizations

There are several iconic Boston locations that are getting serious upgrades. One Post Office Square in the financial district is being redesigned from a bland concrete building to an all-glass marvel with seven additional outdoor spaces. According to the building’s website, “The transformation will feature floor-to-ceiling glass, public-facing retail, an array of elevated amenities to nurture the mind and body.” Boston’s iconic South Station, which will soon include a 51-story mixed use tower in its Air Rights project. This has been in development for years. According to the website, “The new outdoor concourse area will increase in size by 67% for an improved experience for passengers and people passing through the station.” The bus terminal is being increased by 50 percent. There will also be a bike storage room. The Air Rights project is expected to be completed in 2025.

Climate

Obviously while all of these buildings are lovely in theory, there could be harm to the environment as a result of these buildings going up. The reality is somewhat complicated. Ultimately, considering almost all of these buildings were once parking garages, Boston residents have lost a number of places to park. This is good for the environment, as it discourages the use of automobiles which are very harmful to the environment.

Conclusion

Boston’s going to get many updates in the near future. For a city that’s spent most of its history rooted in the past, it’ll be interesting to see how these changes will impact the community moving forward. In a time where we’re not going anywhere, it’s nice to think that at some point we can explore a city that’ll be just a little different from the one before the pandemic. But, of course, that does come at the expense of the environment and of lower income people. Only time will tell what fortunes and misfortunes these towers will bring.