Suffolk Downs redevelopment could go one of two ways

Boston’s bid for Amazon is said to hinge on a redevelopment of the former 161-acre Suffolk Downs racetrack that straddles the city and a slice of neighboring Revere.

Suffolk Downs owner HYM Investment Group has therefore put forward a general redevelopment plan with two paths. Both paths include 16.5 million square feet of new residential, retail, office, hotel, and lab space built out over as long as two decades. Eleven million square feet of that would go in Boston and 5.5 million in Revere.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. Should Amazon pick Boston as host of its second headquarters, HYM would go with a so-called pro-commercial approach.

That pro-commercial path would be paved with the up to 8 million square feet of office space that Amazon is seeking in a new HQ. It would, too, include 7,500 residential units, 550,000 square feet of retail, and up to 830 hotel rooms.

HYM would also want expedited permissions to build two office buildings so that Amazon could open by its headquarters’ scheduled 2019 debut.

But suppose Amazon choose Dallas or some such exotic place instead of Boston. In that case, HYM would take a pro-residential path, with 10,000 housing units, 450,000 square feet of retail, and 670 hotel rooms. There would also be 5.25 million square feet of office space.

Either way, things will be big. And the Blue Line will creak and shudder under the new ridership. Stay tuned.

• Two paths revealed for Suffolk Downs [Herald]
• Blue Line development: Lots of construction along the Boston-Revere route [Curbed Boston]