When last we checked in with the 47-story addition to Copley Place, Boston's tallest-condo-tower-to-be was facing stiff opposition despite a hearty green-light by the city. The week before Thanksgiving, the Boston Redevelopment Authority had unanimously approved its 318 luxury Back Bay condos and additional 115,000 square feet of higher-end retail to complement the Neiman Marcus that's already there—this despite an "Occupy the Mayor's Office" rally the same evening. Go figure.
The opposition continued unabated, though, and now seems to have born fruit, at least of the low-hanging kind. Per Casey Ross in The Globe:
[Developer] Simon Property Group will build all 48 of its required affordable units on the site of the massive project, dropping a prior plan to include only 10 such apartments in the tower and build the rest in the South End or Back Bay. The announcement came in a letter released by the city today.
It's not entirely clear if the BRA or Simon, best-known for its mega-malls across America, will address any of the other concerns of opponents, including the additional shadowing that the tower could toss over Copley Square; the public space that the retail expansion could consume; increased traffic; and just the general sense that it's more luxury housing in a city in need of more affordable housing. Plus:
The letter did not indicate how that change will affect the total number of units in the tower -- which was permitted for a mix of 318 condominiums and apartments -- or how many of the affordable units will be studios versus one- or two-bedrooms. Stay tuned, kids.
· Copley Tower Developer Agrees to Build All Affordable Units On-Site [Globe]
· Boston's Tallest Condo Tower O.K.'d Despite 'Occupy' [Curbed Boston]
· Opponents to Menino on Copley Place: Not a 'Done Deal' [Curbed Boston]