121 Seaport Boulevard | Parcel L2 | Seaport Square

Odd.. I was fairly sure that WS was already the original developer over that space and came up with the original design. There was nothing to "take over."

Seaport Square has changed hands several times. Frank and Jamie McCourt were the first, back when this was still considered a future stadium site. Their divorce catalyzed Seaport Square, because it forced them to sell to Hynes. Hynes basically laid out the master plan as we know it but was distracted by its troubled co-development with Vornado at Filene's Basement (back before anyone knew what Millennium was). They ultimately sold out to Boston Global Investors, which I think may still have a financial interest. BGI got through the first few buildings (including the two parcels on either side of this park, which were actually built by Skanska after the sites were sold off) and then either brought WS into the picture or sold off to them entirely. BGI did retain the development interest in what we now know as 10 World Trade.

The Seaport Square thread itself is 16 years old and includes all of this history: https://archboston.com/community/threads/seaport-square-formerly-mccourt-seaport-parcels.1282/
 
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James Corner Field Operations was hired by WS in 2017.

Here's a couple of images from the 2017 NPC.

peFAQ02.jpg


Y5vNjfq.jpg


It's supposed to look more or less like the image above from one end to the other to provide a continuous experience, and to do that they would have to alter the 121 park.
 
Seaport Square has changed hands several times. Frank and Jamie McCourt were the first, back when this was still considered a future stadium site. Their divorce catalyzed Seaport Square, because it forced them to sell to Hynes (of South Station Tower fame). Hynes basically laid out the master plan as we know it but was distracted by its troubled co-development with Vornado at Filene's Basement (back before anyone knew what Millennium was). They ultimately sold out to Boston Global Investors, which I think may still have a financial interest. BGI got through the first few buildings (including the two parcels on either side of this park, which were actually built by Skanska after the sites were sold off) and then either brought WS into the picture or sold off to them entirely. BGI did retain the development interest in what we now know as 10 World Trade.

The Seaport Square thread itself is 16 years old and includes all of this history: https://archboston.com/community/threads/seaport-square-formerly-mccourt-seaport-parcels.1282/

You are mixing up your Hy(i)neses. Hines founded by Gerald Hines out of Houston, Texas is the developer of South Station Tower. Boston Global Investors, led by John Hynes III out of Boston was the original developer of Seaport Square and is currently developing 10 World Trade Center.
 
The design of the seaport sq courtyard has changed a couple times since 121 seaport was built so it makes perfect sense that they want it to align with the design that ended up being built.
 

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