With businesses and population numbers on the rise, Boston’s skyline is bound to grow as well. A plethora of new super-large structures have popped up on the horizon, from luxury high-rises in Downtown Crossing to architecturally striking office towers in Back Bay and green mixed-use buildings in South Boston.
Dramatic, Decade-Long Transformation Visualized
With the help of Google’s Street View, RENTCafé has traveled back in time and pinpointed some of the most amazing developments that helped reshape whole neighborhoods. Join us for a trip down memory lane and see how much Boston has changed in the last decade with these striking before-and-after images.
Simply drag the arrow bar back-and-forth to view the old and the new images.
#1. The Clarendon, Back Bay
Home to some of the tallest buildings in Boston, including the Prudential Center and the John Hancock Tower, the bustling Back Bay neighborhood continues to attract imposing developments. Standing proudly at the corner of Clarendon and Stuart Streets, The Clarendon/One Back Bay is a 33-story high-rise that features a mix of luxury condominiums and rental units. Designed by Robert A.M. Stern Architects, LLP, the tower achieved LEED Silver Certification.
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#2. Millennium Place, Downtown Crossing
Downtown Crossing is gradually evolving into an enclave of luxury living. New York-based Millennium Partners has redeveloped an underutilized parking lot on the corner of Avery and Washington Streets and turned it into a stunning glass, brick, and steel condo tower. Dubbed Millennium Place, the 15- story building comprises 256 residences, including 14 penthouses and 8 residences with private garden terraces. The developer is currently working on another premium high-rise in the area, the 60-story Millennium Tower Boston. Anchored by the renovated historic Burnham Building, the tower will feature 442 luxury residences ranging in size from 759 to 12,846 square feet.
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#3. Liberty Mutual Tower, Back Bay
Boasting a striking resemblance to NYC’s Flatiron Building, the Liberty Mutual Tower adds a plus of variety to the Back Bay neighborhood. Situated at the corner of Stuart Street, Columbus Avenue and Berkeley Street, the 22-story office building stands 290 feet tall on a site that once housed a Salvation Army building and the Benjamin Franklin Smith Building.
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#4. Radian, Chinatown
One of the latest architectural wonders enhancing Boston’s skyline, Radian sits prettily at 120 Kingston Street, on the border of Chinatown and Leather District. The elegantly curved, 26-story glass tower added 240 apartment homes to the Downtown area and includes approximately 5,300 sq. ft. of ground-floor retail along with 70 below-grade parking spaces. Leasing began in spring 2014. The $130 million redevelopment project sparked a bit of controversy at the time as neighbors fought to preserve the brick building previously standing on the lot known as the Auchmuty “Dainty Dot” Hosiery building.
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#5.Fan Pier, South Boston
The $3 billion Fan Pier mega-development continues to grow and impress, with new office, hospitality, and residential space adding to its vibrancy. The 18-story One Marina Park Drive was completed in 2010. Designed by Elkus Manfredi, the multi-use office building is LEED Gold-certified. Two 18-story structures, 50 Northern Avenue and Eleven Fan Pier Boulevard, serve as Vertex Pharmaceuticals’ global headquarters. Completed in 2013, the towers feature approximately 1.1 million square feet of commercial office and laboratory space, 60,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space, and underground parking.
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#6. The Kensington, Chinatown
As one of the newest luxury rental buildings in town, The Kensington combines an unbeatable location in downtown Boston with green amenities and upscale interiors. Located at 659 Washington Street, the 27-story, 488,000 square-foot building offers 381 luxury rental apartments, 2,300 square feet of ground floor retail space, and 110 parking spaces. The gleaming tower was awarded LEED Gold certification.
Ava Theater District (pictured, under construction in 2014) will soon deliver more rental apartments to this burgeoning area. The 398-unit community at 45 Stuart Street will feature a mix of studio, one-, and two-bedroom apartments.
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#7. W Boston Hotel and Residences, Theater Disctrict
Located in Boston’s Theater District, at the corner of Stuart and Tremont streets, the W Boston Hotel and Residences was completed in 2009. The 26-story mixed-use project comprises 235 hotel rooms and 122 luxury residences with amazing views of the city’s glimmering lights.
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#8. Atlantic Wharf, Fort Point Channel District
Boston’s Waterfront is slowly evolving into a hotspot for modern living, and Boston Properties’ Atlantic Wharf project has a lot to do with it. The sustainable mixed-use development was planned to include world-class offices, top-of-the-line retail, and sophisticated urban lofts. Boston’s first green skyscraper, the Atlantic Wharf Office Building, was completed in 2011. The 31-story Class A office tower was awarded LEED Platinum and includes such features as innovative rainwater storage and reuse systems, energy conserving mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems, green roofs, and daylighting design. The residential component known as The Lofts at Atlantic Wharf is located at 530 Atlantic Avenue and comprises 88 residential units with contemporary finishes.
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#9. The Avenue of the Arts, Mission Hill
The part of Huntington Avenue known as the Avenue of the Arts became home in 2012 to The Tree House Residence Hall at MassArt. Designed by architecture firm ADD Inc, the innovative, 21-story building was inspired by Gustav Klimt’s “Tree of Life” and aims to become a symbol of the school’s rebirth and continuation. It features 493 beds for freshmen and sophomores in 136 suites configured in one-, two-, or three-bedroom layouts. Common amenities include workrooms, a first-floor Café/lounge, game room, laundry facilities, and a lobby with 24-hour security.
In 2014, the area welcomed another dynamic community. The Wentworth Institute of Technology expanded its campus with a new residential building at 525 Huntington Avenue. The Apartments at 525 Huntington Residence Hall is a 7-story building and includes 72 apartment-style units.
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#10. 45 Province, Downtown / Financial District
45 Province sits on a premier downtown tract that was once the site of Province House, originally used as the governor’s residence and then as the state government center until the current State House was built. Located just across from Old City Hall, the 32-story residential tower sits at the foot of Beacon Hill and Boston Common. It features 137 condominiums with exclusive amenities and high-end interior finishes. 45 Province was Boston’s highest-selling condo building in 2014 with a median sale price of $1,425,000, according to data from PropertyShark.
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