The Boston Preservation Alliance added its voice to opponents of a proposed Downtown Crossing office tower and urged city officials not to approve “spot zoning” for taller buildings in the neighborhood.
New York-based Midwood Investment and Development proposes a 22-story, 427,000-square-foot office tower to replace a cluster of commercial buildings at 11-21 Bromfield St.
“The proposed height for the new structure is not appropriate for this location and would have irreversible consequences to the historic neighborhood,” BPA Executive Director Alison Frazee wrote in a comment letter submitted to the Boston Planning & Development Agency.
The Downtown Business Improvement District and business owners urged the BPDA to approve the project as a key element of reviving the neighborhood’s economy, citing potential creation of 1,700 jobs at the property.
“More employees downtown mean more customers for local business
The BPDA review of the project takes place as the agency proposes taller building heights as part of its PLAN: Downtown study, which resumed in November. The latest proposal would increase base building heights to 400 feet on the western side of Washington Street between Hamilton Place and Court Street.
The PLAN: Downtown updates are part of Mayor Michelle Wu’s strategy to revive downtown activity in the wake of the pandemic, including potential density bonuses tied to public benefits.
Opponents of the 11-21 Bromfield project include Revolutionary Spaces, which operates downtown historic sites including the Old State House and Old South Meetinghouse, and has warned of potential damage to the structures from wind tunnel effects created by tall buildings. Existing buildings on the Bromfield Street site range up to six stories.
Midwood Investment and Development recently submitted a partial redesign of the project in response to public comments about potential disruption from truck deliveries, including the installation of a rotating truck turnaround area where a 2,000-square-foot retail space previously was planned.
But the preservation alliance argued that the building height is the most significant negative effect of the development, and claims the BPDA is undermining the downtown planning process “by introducing spot zoning to the Ladder Blocks” between Tremont and Washington streets to advance the Midwood project.
“This communicates that the BPDA is not listening to the voices of Bostonians, does not intend to plan before permitting, and will base development decisions on what is best for developers, not Boston,” Frazee wrote.
Midwood initially sought approval for a 59-story residential skyscraper in 2016, before submitting the office tower plans in October 2020.