Entrepreneur Steve Belkin, former owner of the Atlanta Hawks in the NBA and Atlanta Thrashers in the NHL, is proposing to build a 740-foot glass tower in Boston’s Financial District, uprooting a space currently occupied by a city-owned parking lot and changing Boston’s skyline.
This is Belkin’s second proposal for a skyscraper in the Financial District’s Winthrop Square. In 2006, Belkin hoped to construct a 1,000-foot skyscraper, but his plans fell through due to regulatory concerns and economic turndown during the recession. Now, Belkin is proposing a new building, though the idea is still in its early stages, said Melina Schuler, spokeswoman the office of Boston Mayor Martin Walsh.
“No project documents have been filed at this time,” she said in an email. “We look forward to learning more about the proposal and working with the necessary agencies to determine the future of the proposed development site, which currently houses an underutilized parking garage.”
Once filed, the proposal will go through the Boston Redevelopment Authority’s extensive development review process, Schuler said.
“The project would follow the BRA’s Article 80 development review process, as required of all large-scale development in the City of Boston, which includes a robust community process,” she said. “There are several steps, regarding the disposition of the existing parking garage that must take place, even before a project proposal could be submitted.”
Schuler said the BRA review process takes several concerns into account, including public comments and environmental impact.
The process of constructing the building would begin with a letter of intent, followed by the formation of an Impact Advisory Group, according to Article 80, the BRA’s Large Project Review guidelines. After the extensive review and approval process, the building could attain any necessary permits, and construction could then begin.
Belkin’s proposal is a second effort at his 2006 proposal, which Keith Morgan, director of American studies at Boston University and professor of American and European architecture, said would have negatively affected Boston’s skylines due to its vast height.
“It would visually imbalance the city skyline. It would be a big pencil stuck up in front of everything else,” he said. “…The issue before and the issue still is the incredible density of that particular neighborhood and just the amount of bodies [that] are going to come and go on a daily basis and the public transportation in and out of the city.”
Several residents said they support the construction of a tower in Boston, though they voiced concerns about the proposed location of Belkin’s building.
Quaddell Reis, 24, of South Boston, said he would like to see the tower built outside of the Financial District.
“My only concern would be the amount of congestion that would occur in an already heavily populated location in the city,” he said. “If I had to move the location, I would try to build it somewhere closer in South Boston because we don’t have anything like that here.”
Andy Chae, 25, of Brighton, said he would like to see Belkin’s proposal pan out.
“We are an old city and a very small city, and it is very smart to build up, as in building taller buildings to maximize space,” he said. “It is great for the city, and I am excited for the prospect.”
Matthew Bae, 24, of Roxbury, said the new building could add needed residential and commercial spacing. However, he said, he is concerned about the impact the building would have on Boston’s skyline.
“The financial district right now is beautiful as it is in its own way,” he said. “Part of me does think that a skyscraper jetting out of it might mess with the skyline a bit, but I definitely think it’s good in terms of adding residential space and commercial space to make it more accessible for people.”
