Winthrop Square tower’s final design wins key green light

The Boston Civic Design Commission has approved Handel Architects’ design for a 690-foot tower in place of the old Winthrop Square Garage in Boston’s Financial District.

The green-light moves the project that much closer to fruition. The Boston Planning & Development Agency is expected to vote on the tower later this month.

Concerns over the Winthrop Square tower’s scope—especially its height—and its design have held up the office-and-condo building at 240 Devonshire Street, which developer Millennium Partners first broached in 2016.

The newly approved design from Handel shows a 690-foot tower in two distinct parts, a nod to the concerns that the original look was too bland for something that would be among the tallest buildings in Boston.

As for the scope, including its possible effect on flights in and out of Logan, Millennium has addressed that with cuts to the tower’s would-be height. It was originally supposed to be 775 feet, which would have made it the second-tallest building in Boston after 200 Clarendon.

• Winthrop Square tower design finally approved [Globe]
• Boston’s 10 tallest buildings by 2020, mapped [Curbed Boston]