The John Hancock might get a new neighbor (though nowhere near as tall). A letter of intent has been filed with the city by the former owner of the Copley Square and Park Plaza hotels, as well as a developer on the South End's Atelier 505 condo, to build big in place of the current Boston Common Hotel & Conference Center at Stuart Street and Trinity Place. According to Greg Turner at The Herald, the 33-story tower would include "about 220 hotel rooms, 142 residential units, 100 parking spaces, and ground-floor retail or restaurant space."
It's not clear whether the units would be rentals or condos—nor is it clear whether 100 parking spaces would be sufficient in a downtown Boston already caught in a kind of Thunderdome when it comes to parking. Fuller plans are expected to be submitted to the Boston Redevelopment Authority later this month. Meanwhile, the locals appear to be on-board: "It's really a good location for a new hotel," Meg Mainzer-Cohen, president of the Back Bay Association, told Turner. "It's a stone's throw away from Amtrak and MBTA stations on a relatively quiet little street." Relatively quiet for now.
· Developers Float Back Bay Tower Plan [Herald]
· Bloodless Coup in Boston! Car Overthrown as City's King! [Curbed Boston]