Images courtesy of Morris Adjmi Architects and Jaklitsch/Gardner
The Boston Civic Design Commissioners pushed developers to make changes to a building that would kick-start the 2 million-square-foot Fenway Corners project.
The 250,000-square-foot office and retail building would replace the Lansdowne Street parking garage.
The project will revitalize Lansdowne Street outside of baseball season. A two-story “loft” walkway that could eventually be connected to an aviation project on the Massachusetts Turnpike will serve as a public gathering space and host winter markets and musical performances, Yanni Tsipis, senior vice president of WS Development, said in a presentation to the Boston Civic Design Commission this month.
“We think we’re pretty good at public events and activations across the city,” Tsipis said, alluding to this WS Development's seaport properties.
The latest version failed to satisfy several commission members, who urged WS Development to go back to the drawing board.
The project is the first phase of the Fenway Corners Project, which includes 13 parcels totaling 5.3 acres surrounding Fenway Park. WS Development is working with Fenway Sports Group and the D'Angelo family, owners of the '47 sportswear brand and many of the properties.
The Commission has started this Review of the project in June. Several storefronts on the ground floor will feature different facades, similar to the historic architecture in Fort Point, Tsipis said.
At the developers' request, developers this month unveiled an option that eliminated the ornamental metal frame on the front of the red brick building, designed to resemble the cantilevers that support the Green Monster seating at Fenway Park across the street.
“To be honest, we found it a bit disappointing,” Tsipis said of the slimmed-down version.
However, some of the commissioners urged WS to improve landscaping and street design while renewing their objections to the metal “exoskeleton” facade ornamentation.
“I like the idea [the Green Monster] “This can be an overwhelming element in Lansdowne, and this building will provide a somewhat quieter antidote to that activity,” Commissioner Linda Eastley said.
The building at 55 Landsdowne St. was designed by Morris Adjmi Architects and Jaklitsch/Gardner. The primary tenants are expected to be the Boston Red Sox front office and Fenway Sports Group.
“We're getting a lot of conflicting instructions, so it's up to us to figure it out and navigate. We'll work with them.” [Boston Planning Department] “We will get back to you,” Tsipis said.
The project returns to BCDC on December 2nd. when WS is expected to present updated public space designs.
These were lengthy BCDC reviews that increased project times and costs cited by developers in comments on ways to make Boston's real estate approval process more predictable and transparent.
In July, the Board of Directors of the Boston Planning & Development Agency eliminated the power of the design commission to review projects under 200,000 square feet.
Images courtesy of Morris Adjmi Architects and Jaklitsch/Gardner