Draft Project Impact Report - Boston Redevelopment Authority

Exeter Residences/888 Boylston
Design Development
the Boylston Arcade and adds diversity to the retail by offering larger tenant spaces.
The opportunity to connect directly to the food court offers increased diversity there
as well.
A new parking deck is proposed to be installed within the 2 story volume of the
Green-level parking garage. Increasing the underground parking capacity below the
building and the plaza within the envelope of the existing Prudential Center garage
addresses the additional parking load of a new office space, without adding curb
cuts.
Loading dock capacity for the building is provided within the existing North
Loading Dock, accessed from Boylston Street.
The Proponent has listened to the feedback from PruPAC, City agencies and
members of the public regarding the design of 888 Boylston and has responded
accordingly. Since the filing of the NPC/PNF, the building has been modified by
reduction in height be two stories, the curve of the glass façade has been relaxed to
present a gentler expression to the street, and the two story base has been redesigned
as a distinct podium expression from the building above.
Boston Properties has implemented a number of design changes since approval of
the Boylston Office Building in the 1990 Development Plan, the approval of design
for a building on this site in 2001 and the NPC/PNF submittal in 2007. Originally
proposed at 11 stories over 1 parking level, the building was expanded to 19 stories
over 2 parking levels (but within the existing Prudential Center garage) in the 2007
NPC/PNF filing and is now being proposed as 17 stories over 2 parking levels.
In the previous schemes of 2001 and 2007, the building design respected certain
easements related to the Hynes Convention Center thereby creating a “dark” corner
adjacent to the Hynes Convention Center. Recently, the Massachusetts Convention
Center Authority (“MCCA”) has relaxed the required easements in exchange for
rights to use a portion of the plaza for seasonal dining and for service access to the
Prudential Center North Loading Dock. The exchange of concessions by the MCCA
and Boston Properties has allowed positive advancement of the building and plaza
design. This has allowed the dark corner to be moved forward and the area activated
by the MCCA’s restaurants.
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Design.docx Urban Design 3-8