BOSTON — MP Boston, a local mixed-use and residential developer, broke ground Wednesday on Winthrop Center in downtown Boston. The $1.35 billion mixed-use development represents the largest private investment for a single project in Boston’s history. The site was formerly owned by the City of Boston and housed the Winthrop Square Garage.
Set for a spring 2022 completion, Winthrop Center will feature 750,000 square feet of office space, 420 condominiums, retail and restaurants, as well as a public gathering space. The tower will rise 691 feet tall, making it the fourth-largest tower in Boston.
At the base of Winthrop Center will be the Great Hall, an open civic space available to the public. The center will also feature an open mid-block alley between Winthrop Square/Downtown Crossing and Federal Street/the Financial District.
Handel Architects LLP and Steven Winter Associates Inc. designed the tower to achieve LEED Platinum certification with hopes to also be a certified Passive House Pilot Project. Begun by Germany-based research organization Passivhaus Institut, Passive House is the only internationally recognized energy standard in commercial construction. If achieved, Winthrop Center would be the largest Passive House office building in the world.
MP Boston is developing the tower in conjunction with the Metabolic Design Office, a design collective within MIT that will focus on the office portion. Owners of the residential condos will have access to ConnexIQ, MP Boston’s proprietary design platform and a smart home app.
Winthrop Center’s amenities will include a lounge and business collaboration space for residents and their guests, as well as a programmed social calendar. Amenities that are open to all tenants include concierge services and FLX 2.0, a fitness program that features body and mind wellness and nutrition services.
“Winthrop Center represents the next-generation of development offering a seamless integration between the built environment and the urban human experience,” says Christopher Jeffries, founding partner of MP Boston. “This building signifies a transformed Boston.”
MP Boston will invest $163 million in the city, including the direct payment to the City of Boston of $102 million upfront, $61 million when the residential units are sold and long-term property tax payments.
MP Boston’s other projects in the area include Millennium Tower, Burnham Building and Millennium Place.
— John Nelson