The skyline of downtown Boston may be on the verge of a significant transformation as proposed zoning changes could permit new buildings to rise as high as 700 feet in certain areas.
The new zoning plan would stretch from Boston Common to the Rose Kennedy Greenway, allowing developers to construct high-rises that could reach approximately 70 stories tall, although closer to the Boston Common, heights would be limited to between 100 and 155 feet.
Currently, the tallest building in the area is Winthrop Center, completed last year, which stands at 691 feet and consists of 52 stories.
Following that is the Millennium Tower at 684 feet and 60 stories, while the South Station tower is set to reach 677 feet and 51 stories upon completion.
Upon the release of the final draft zoning on Thursday, many downtown residents have expressed their apprehensions regarding the potential implications of these changes.
A coalition of neighborhood organizations issued a statement likening the proposal to a gamble rather than a well-thought-out plan.
“This is not thoughtful, comprehensive planning—it is a high-rise tower gamble devoid of sound analysis and valid proof of concept,” they stated.
They further cautioned that the new zoning would likely fail to produce meaningful affordable housing while also threatening the character of the neighborhood.
These zoning changes are part of Boston’s PLAN: Downtown initiative, aimed at overhauling the lengthy zoning code.
City officials assert that the modifications will enhance housing density, thereby contributing to the resolution of the ongoing housing crisis.
To address concerns surrounding affordable housing, any new residential development resulting from these zoning revisions would be required to allocate 20% of the units created as affordable housing under the existing inclusionary zoning regulations.
Since the original draft release in January, there has been strong opposition from community members.
During the initial public comment phase, residents expressed their discontent through a flood of letters, predominantly criticizing the proposal.
One resident articulated, “To me, this plan represents the ‘Manhattanization’ of Boston, and I am strongly opposed to that happening in a city with a totally different history, character, and size from that of New York.”
Another downtown resident voiced dissatisfaction by saying, “We did not buy in a high-rise tower in the Seaport; we chose to be in a neighborhood that we committed to making more of a community.
This plan does the EXACT OPPOSITE of what we hoped.”
The latest zoning draft categorizes the area into two distinct zoning districts, “SKY” and “SKY-LOW-D.”
The latter focuses on the sections closest to the Boston Common and another portion near the waterfront, capping maximum building heights to prioritize the preservation of existing structures and maintain a scale that is more in keeping with the historic context of the neighborhood.
Since the initial proposal, adjustments have been made to include more areas within the SKY-LOW-D district, such as Park Plaza and neighborhoods surrounding Reader’s Plaza.
The revised draft also introduces Planned Development Areas (PDAs), which offer a more flexible approach to zoning and are designed for properties of at least one acre that include a city landmark and are predominantly residential.
In the SKY district, buildings may reach 700 feet but are subject to either Federal Aviation Administration regulations or laws governing shadows cast on the Common, whichever imposes lower height restrictions.
The Back Bay, Bay Village, and Downtown Boston Neighborhood Associations, alongside various civic organizations, have expressed a willingness to negotiate a compromise that would extend lower height restrictions into the Financial District while still permitting tall buildings further away from historic sites.
They concluded by reflecting on Boston’s past, stating, “Boston still bears the scars of misguided, top-down planning efforts that led to the destruction of the West End and portions of Roxbury and the South End.
We cannot afford to repeat those mistakes.”
As community members continue to vocalize their concerns, the discussion around Boston’s future skyline remains a contentious issue.
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