Planning Department Advances Largest Downtown Office-To-Residential Conversion

Mayor Wu, Chief Shen Celebrate Dr. Landsmark

The Planning Department this month recommended approval of a new office-to-residential conversion project representing approximately 219,200 square feet (SF) to the BPDA Board. The approved project will create 255 new homes, including 52 income-restricted units, and will support approximately 203 construction jobs and 18 permanent jobs. The project is the largest office-to-residential conversion project to be approved by the Board and represents a new scale of conversion projects entering Mayor Michelle Wu's successful office-to-residential conversion program.

Mayor Wu and Chief of Planning Kairos Shen also marked Dr. Ted Landsmark's retirement from the BPDA Board and celebrated his tenure. Dr. Landsmark joined the Board in September 2014 and is currently the longest serving board member. During his tenure, the Board approved nearly 60,000 new housing units, including nearly 16,000 income restricted units. The Board approved projects representing $48.7 billion of investment and 138 million square feet of development around the City of Boston.

"Ted Landsmark's influence can be seen not only in the city's growth and its skyline, but in the generations of planners, architects, and advocates he has mentored," said Mayor Michelle Wu. "We are grateful to Dr. Landsmark for his years of public service and for pushing Boston to live up to its promise of being a home for everyone."

Development Projects

Project at 280-300 Washington Street to create 255 new homes Downtown

Housing: 255 units, 52 income-restricted units

Jobs: 203 construction jobs, 18 permanent jobs

Community: New residents living Downtown

Sustainability: Adaptive re-use and preservation of existing building

Located in the heart of Downtown Crossing, this project will convert vacant office space into 255 new homes, 52 of which will be income-restricted, and will retain existing retail space on the ground floor. Due to updated zoning regulations Downtown, the project will not require zoning relief, allowing these new homes to be completed more quickly. This project is one of 24 applicants to Mayor Wu's successful Office-to-Residential Conversion Program, which is on track to convert 29 buildings and 1.5 million square feet of empty office space into more than 1,700 new homes Downtown.

In addition to these projects, the Board approved:

• An update to a previously approved project at 69 A Street in South Boston to convert the approved office space into 24 units of housing.

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About the Planning Department

The City of Boston's Planning Department shapes growth that serves Boston's residents and centers their needs. Our mission is to address our City's greatest challenges: resilience, affordability, and equity, and to take real estate actions and prioritize planning, development, and urban design solutions that further these priorities. We seek to build trust with communities through transparent processes that embrace predictable growth and shape a more inclusive city for all. Learn more at bostonplans.org, and follow us on Bluesky and Instagram @BostonPlans.

• Published by: Planning