BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--MP Boston, developer of award-winning projects in Downtown Boston, celebrated the commencement of construction yesterday for its Winthrop Center development alongside community members from far corners of the city. Set to be completed in spring 2022, Winthrop Center will feature innovative office work space, residential units, retail, dining, and commercial space, along with a curated public gathering space. The $1.35 billion-dollar development is the largest private investment for a single project in Boston and will create a compelling presence on both the skyline and at the pedestrian level.
Built on a rare and prized acre of formerly city-owned land in the center of Downtown Boston, Winthrop Center will be a dynamic tower of synergistic uses providing immediate economic impacts to the city through funds earmarked for much-needed improvements and public-facing projects. In recognition of these monetary donations, communities and representatives from the Boston Common, Franklin Park, South Boston’s Old Colony public housing complex, the Emerald Necklace, and East Boston’s Orient Heights public housing complex came together at the ceremonial groundbreaking to celebrate this civic achievement.
“Winthrop Center represents the next-generation of development offering a seamless integration between the built environment and the urban human experience,” said Christopher M. Jeffries, founding partner, MP Boston. “This building signifies a transformed Boston, and is an unprecedented example of how city leaders, the public and forward-thinking private innovators can come together to create the cities of tomorrow.”
Winthrop Center will be a next-generation building that rethinks how cutting-edge urban research, architecture, design, technology, sustainability and engineering are executed against the human paradigms of productivity, wellness and social engagement, all with the goal of enhancing the urban human experience. Standing approximately 691 feet tall, this project will be Boston’s fourth tallest building and will be an extraordinary advancement on the mixed-use building form that has become a paradigm for successful urban revitalization in historic city centers.
Winthrop Center will be a market leader in sustainability and resiliency and designed to meet the more extreme climatic conditions anticipated in the future. While the entire development is designed to achieve LEED Platinum certification, the 750,000 square feet of innovative office space will meet the needs of the workforce of tomorrow. Designed by Handel Architects LLP, working in conjunction with Passive House experts Steven Winter Associates, Inc., Winthrop Center will seek certification as a Passive House Pilot Project, making it the largest Passive House office building in the world.
A transformational force in the center of a rising Boston and the first project developed in conjunction with MIT’s Metabolic Design Office, a collective founded by architecture professor John Fernandez, Winthrop Center will attract a global audience as it sets new standards for workplace efficiency, adaptability, environmental sustainability, and wellness. Winthrop Center will also showcase ConnexIQ, MP Boston’s proprietary branded platform that combines the layered MIT concept with the unique physical spaces and design of the building, powering a totally integrated living building.
In addition to the new building, Winthrop Center will provide an open midblock “street” between Winthrop Square/Downtown Crossing and Federal Street/the Financial District. At the base of the building will be the Great Hall, a civic space open and available to the public. Designed as a distinctive gathering place for all seasons and a focal point for activity from morning to night, the Great Hall will help foster community, an appreciation for the arts, and Boston’s rich culture.
Winthrop Center will also house luxury residences designed for an urban Boston lifestyle. The approximately 420 units will be complete with next-generation smart home technology powered by the ConnexIQ app. Residential owners at Winthrop Center will have access to all building amenities including FLX 2.0 program featuring world-class mind, body and nutrition services; the residential Club featuring a full-service lounge and function room, exclusively for use by residents and their guests; La Vie, an immersive social calendar to connect residents with curated Boston experiences inspired by their passions for food, travel, art and culture; and five-star service at all touch points from valet, door man to concierge, and beyond. Recognizing the way people live and work today, the residential Club will also feature a first of its kind business collaboration space built for the modern day telecommuter.
Winthrop Center will play a key and unprecedented role in Boston’s ongoing progress and economic health. The project will contribute significantly to rejuvenating the downtown core, add both construction and permanent jobs, and invest $163 million in the city, including the direct payment to the City of Boston of $102 million up front, $61 million when the residential units are sold, and significant long-term property taxes.
Winthrop Center marks another transformational project for MP Boston. On the heels of the record-setting development of the nearby Millennium Tower, Burnham Building, and Millennium Place, MP Boston’s commitment to Boston grows stronger with the commencement of construction of Winthrop Center. Learn more about Winthrop Center at: MPWinthropSquare.com.
About MP Boston
Founded over 20 years ago and firmly rooted in the heart of New England, MP Boston is an internationally recognized residential developer of luxury mixed-use properties. The firm spearheaded the transformation of Downtown Boston with an impressive portfolio of projects to their name. Work has included 10 St. James, a 570,000-square-foot office building developed in conjunction with the restoration of the 250,000-square-foot Paine Furniture building on Arlington Street, followed by the landmark development of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel and Residential Towers.
Next came work on One Charles, which offers 233 luxury residential condominiums, followed by the reconstruction of 179 Lincoln Street, originally built in 1899. The redevelopment of the building offered 250,000 square feet of prime office space complete with LEED certification. This effort was followed by Millennium Place, a 15-story luxury residential building which introduced a new style of urban living to Boston.
Most recently, the firm developed Millennium Tower Boston and restored the adjacent Burnham Building, bringing new life to the neighborhood. Located at the site of the former Filene’s Department Store, the 60-story Millennium Tower Boston showcases a bold new way of living, merging world-class contemporary design with unsurpassed amenities, the highest level of service and exclusive Club offerings.
