PLAN: Downtown

[themissinglink]

It's disappointing that so many people are opposed to increased height in Downtown Crossing. Almost like the downtown of a major city is exactly where the focus should be on building large developments...

 

[commuter guy]

https://www.bostonplans.org/getattachment/2dff06b0-46c5-4d8e-9b9b-1b273f1098c2

Some recent information in the public comments received in response to PLAN: Downtown. Aside from the usual height complaints from 45 Province, the owner of PI Alley wants the ability to build a mixed-use tower above the 400ft limitation in the plan. They approached the city several years ago with a plan for a 460ft tower but did not go through with it due to height constraints. The Druker Company also wants PDA ability to pursue large-scale development of its sites downtown.

Doesn't Druker own much of Bromfield St.? While I support increased density, I don't think it's a worthwhile trade off if it means eliminating/destroying the small footprint human scaled commercial streets of Bromfield and the ladder district streets.

 

[king_vibe]

https://www.bostonplans.org/getattachment/2dff06b0-46c5-4d8e-9b9b-1b273f1098c2

Some recent information in the public comments received in response to PLAN: Downtown. Aside from the usual height complaints from 45 Province, the owner of PI Alley wants the ability to build a mixed-use tower above the 400ft limitation in the plan. They approached the city several years ago with a plan for a 460ft tower but did not go through with it due to height constraints. The Druker Company also wants PDA ability to pursue large-scale development of its sites downtown.

Replacing an eyesore public embarrassment parking garage with a mixed use tower in the transit center of metropolitan Boston? Never. Not in the city of “NO.”

 

[12345]

https://www.bostonplans.org/getattachment/cfc98eb6-9b23-4b33-899c-20dbb4554c02

 

[themissinglink]

I’m disappointed, but not at all surprised.

City plan to allow 500-foot skyscrapers in Downtown Crossing hits the brakes after pushback - The Boston Globe

Discussions around PLAN: Downtown first began in 2018, then took a pivot after a new chief of planning took office last year.

www.bostonglobe.com

Amid furor among many downtown residents, Boston officials will delay a zoning proposal that would allow for 500-foot skyscrapers along Washington Street in Downtown Crossing.

 

[Charlie_mta]

I’m disappointed, but not at all surprised.

City plan to allow 500-foot skyscrapers in Downtown Crossing hits the brakes after pushback - The Boston Globe

Discussions around PLAN: Downtown first began in 2018, then took a pivot after a new chief of planning took office last year.

www.bostonglobe.com

Wow, 500 ft. tall buildings in the downtown of a major city. Outrageous!

 

[DZH22]

Wow, 500 ft. tall buildings in the downtown of a major city. Outrageous!

They'd obviously stick out like sore thumbs. It's not like we already have.... (checks notes) 23 of them!

 

[citydweller]

Wow, 500 ft. tall buildings in the downtown of a major city. Outrageous!

FAA height limit is very restrictive in the downtown / financial district. I think it's in the 650' range. But agreed, to impose a height limit of 500' may be a non-starter for most developers. Did the article mention why ... and please don't even mention the damn shadow on the common BS.

 

[themissinglink]

500 feet isn't even that tall for a city like Boston, especially in a neighborhood like Downtown Crossing. What's the issue with building (or at least zoning for) 500' towers in DTX when the Millennium Tower is 684'?

 

[DBM]

And behold, it came to pass, that the Planning Department, a mere

(checks notes)

2,860 days after it was ordered to do so by the Legislature, acting with the *immense urgency* required of COVID's permanent long-term impacts on central business districts . . . has decided to hold a public meeting about PLAN Downtown.

 

[themissinglink]

This entire rezoning process has been infuriatingly slow and difficult. Upzoning the urban core of a metropolis should not be this difficult or controversial.

 

[Justbuildit]

And yet, there’s lots of opposition from downtown residents. For anyone who cares to upzone the one part of Boston that should have infinite density, I look forward to seeing you at the public meeting to mount a response to the tower dwellers who are worried about their views.

 

[Equilibria]

And yet, there’s lots of opposition from downtown residents. For anyone who cares to upzone the one part of Boston that should have infinite density, I look forward to seeing you at the public meeting to mount a response to the tower dwellers who are worried about their views.

Be careful what you wish for - I think there's a lot of people here who would love a chance to tell tower dwellers what they can do with their views

 

[Justbuildit]

I intend to be one of those people as well. The most recent Globe article referenced one of the historic preservation people who thinks shadows on old buildings is bad somehow, but to be clear it is the $1000/sf+ tower living downtown residents who are standing in the way of this very reasonable upzone. I will be writing in and commenting at the meeting, asking for more density and height but it takes a lot of vocal support to overcome their nonsense.

 

[Jeremi]

And behold, it came to pass, that the Planning Department, a mere

(checks notes)

2,860 days after it was ordered to do so by the Legislature, acting with the *immense urgency* required of COVID's permanent long-term impacts on central business districts . . . has decided to hold a public meeting about PLAN Downtown.

Everybody on this forum can and must participate in this meeting.

 

[12345]

• 700 feet would be the new maximum height for most of the Financial District. Skyscrapers can also be built as-of-right instead of requiring additional zoning variances under the plan.
• Buildings would be capped from 100 to 155 feet near Boston Common and the Public Garden to prevent shadows over the parks.

https://www.axios.com/local/boston/2025/05/30/boston-financial-district-skyscrapers

 

[DBM]

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2025/05/30/business/downtown-zoning-plan-boston/

Immensely gratifying to see a *robust* amount of pushback in the comments section vs. some of the more hysterical and preposterous NIMBY assertions being tossed around [as usual without a shred of objective data/evidence backing them up...]

 

[FK4]

I’m disappointed, but not at all surprised.

City plan to allow 500-foot skyscrapers in Downtown Crossing hits the brakes after pushback - The Boston Globe

Discussions around PLAN: Downtown first began in 2018, then took a pivot after a new chief of planning took office last year.

www.bostonglobe.com

Good, keep pushing elitist policies that make no sense and drive up wealth inequality even further, reinforcing — proving — that liberal run cities, despite claiming the mantle of being the paragon of what successful urbanism is, actually are living embodiments of the complete failure of liberal policy to sell itself to normal people. You can draw a direct political and cultural line from the insanity of policies just like this, to the election of 2024.

 

[stick n move]

Downtown boston is literally the one place if you had to choose one in the entire state where 500 foot towers should be allowed… insanity. Not to mention theres already a 685’ tower in dtx… and already are 500’ towers all over downtown. Just goes to show that people will bitch about literally anything if given the chance.

 

[617]

So true…downtown is so underutilized and frankly slummy even with all the connections/transit/good bones. It should be an awesome place to live work play. Hopefully this gets the ball rolling.