Exchange South End, 1.6 million-square-foot project, wins key approval

As expected, the Boston Planning & Development Agency on August 16 signed off on plans to redevelop the former site of the Boston Flower Exchange in the South End into a 1.6 million-square-foot, four-building technology and life sciences hub.

Abbey Group, the developer that acquired the parcel in 2016, hopes to start construction on the $1 billion complex’s first phase in the spring of 2019.

The developer also plans to talk to transportation officials about mitigating the 5.6-acre development’s impact on traffic, including through a new ramp for the Southeast Expressway. It has also committed to improving bus access to the area, per the Globe’s Tim Logan.

In the end, what’s been dubbed Exchange South End is due to become one of the biggest new projects in the neighborhood in decades. Stay tuned.

• Massive South End project wins key approval [Globe]
• Exchange South End project nears key approval [Curbed Boston]