Millennium Tower (Filene's) | 426 Washington Street | Downtown

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Thanks JimboJones....thats what I was talking about.

Ron....I haven't come up with any renderings showing the Summer St. facada, though I imagine it won't change too much considering its historic status. I do believe the grocery store will have ground floor access where the old Filene's entrance is next to Au Bon Pain, though a majority of the grocery store will be in the 2nd floor space of the original Filene's building.
 
I think the renderings are fucking amazing.... congrats to whoever the hell did em.

And i really like this building.. dumb question of the day... this is approved right?
 
wow....i liked the original rendering, but the new rendering is even better!!! I can't wait for them to build this, it is a beautiful skyscraper....the design is great, and i love how Boston is changing from the boring brown box buildings, and they are building a lot of these nicer blue/clear buildings....Boston's skyline is improving every year!!! Damn I can't wait to look at the Boston skyline in like 10 years!!! Oh my god lol we will have so many, hopefully Trans National Place, then South Station Tower, maybe South Bay Development, 45 Province, this, The Clarendon, etc lol
I am excited if you did not notice lol :lol:
But ya i don't mean to be stupid too, but did they definitely approve this building or what???
 
^ When will Macy's replace its #$%&* building?

Singlehandedly ruins the street.

Worst building in Boston?
 
At least Macy's finally uncovered the windows facing Washington Street. What the hell took them (and Jordan Marsh before them) so long?
 
Is this still under review or has it been approved yet??
I thought I saw a recent article about it on Boston.com but I must've been seeing things cause I can't find any recent articles. Anyone seen my non existent article?
 
Lookin? up: Posh hotel: Filene?s builders courting elite chains
By Scott Van Voorhis
Boston Herald Business Reporter
Wednesday, June 13, 2007

The developers behind plans to redevelop the landmark Filene?s complex are close to a deal that would put a luxury hotel in the center of struggling Downtown Crossing.

Led by John Hynes, developers of the proposed $600 million-plus remake of the Filene?s block are in talks with two elite hotel chains, JW Marriott and Meridien Hotels, an industry executive familiar with the talks said.

The exclusive St. Regis chain also looked at the project, but is interested in either parkside or waterfront locations, the executive said.

The Filene?s developers plan to meet later this week to discuss which hotel flag to go with for the $150 million, 250-room hotel, the executive said. In a related move, the developers have brought on Denver-based Sage Hospitality to help build out the hotel.

One of Sage?s specialities is transforming grand old retail department stores like Filene?s into upscale hotels. Sage joins Hynes, president of Gale International, as well as New York development giant Vornado.

A deal for a hotel chain would represent the first major piece to fall into place for the marquee project.

Project executives are also courting various retailers for the complex, which involves renovating the 1912 Filene?s store while building a major hotel, office and condo tower next door.

The hotel would go on the tower?s lower floors, while multimillion-dollar condos, with views of nearby Boston Common, would take shape on the tower?s upper levels.

The 1.2-million-square-foot development would include at least 500,000 square feet of office space, and several floors of retail space, including a new underground store for Filene?s Basement.

The Filene?s redevelopment plan is seen as key to City Hall?s efforts to revive Downtown Crossing, which has suffered amid the loss of major anchor retail stores.

?Fast fashion? chain Zara is reportedly set to sign on as part of the retail component of the Filene?s block project.
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Part of this announcement should include the news that Zara has signed on as a retail tenant at the Filenes site. This is a home run I think, a great store that will compliment the existing H&M and Marshals. This development is coming together quickly.
 
The Globe said:
Spanish fashion chain Zara becomes the first to sign on for Filene's site

By Jenn Abelson, Globe Staff | June 13, 2007

Spanish retailer Zara plans to open a store at the former Filene's building in Downtown Crossing, making the fast-fashion merchant the first to sign on with the $625 million redevelopment of the historic site, according to local officials.

Zara, which currently has no stores in Massachusetts, is opening this year in the Natick Collection and taking over a three-story shop next year on Newbury Street at the former Emporio Armani. Zara is a step above cheap chic rival H&M, which already has a store in Downtown Crossing, and Zara's entry will help elevate the reputation of the struggling shopping district, retail analysts said.

The redevelopment of the Filene's flagship, shuttered last year after Macy's took over the New England chain, has garnered significant interest from merchants. Developer Vornado Realty Trust has already expanded retail to four floors above ground (the plans initially called for three) along with Filene's Basement to operate on two floors below ground.

Construction is expected to begin this fall and the massive project is to include a 38-story tower, condominiums, hotel, office space, and retail stores.

"It's a great endorsement and it speaks to the power and opportunity of the market in Downtown Crossing to have someone like Zara place their store in this location," said Kristen Keefe , retail sector manager for the Boston Redevelopment Authority. "It's a great win for the district and it speaks volumes that more and more retailers are recognizing the strength of Downtown Crossing."

Keefe declined to comment on details of the deal. Zara also would not discuss the Downtown Crossing site, but spokeswoman Rocio Diaz Fernandez said, "For Zara, Boston is one of its target markets for expansion in the US and the company was looking for the best premises in the city. Boston fulfills all the requirements considered essential to the company."

New York firm Vornado Realty Trust did not return calls seeking comment. At the redeveloped Filene's site, Zara will be joined by Canadian merchant Club Monaco, according to a local official briefed on the deal who asked not to be identified because the agreements with Zara and Club Monaco are not yet finalized. A Club Monaco spokeswoman said the company "isn't scheduled to open a store."

Zara, which is owned by publicly traded firm Inditex SA, opened its first store in 1975 and now has more than 1,000 worldwide. The first shop in the United States opened in New York in 1989 and today there are 25 nationwide. The Spanish chain, along with rival H&M, pioneered the concept of fast fashion that has rapidly grown in popularity in recent years.

It's a lean business model that enables Zara to manufacture merchandise and get the garments on the shelves worldwide within two weeks. Clothes are dispatched twice a week to Zara stores, giving a constant renewal of fashion offerings and helping to drive frequent traffic, according to retail analysts.

"Their brilliance is getting from design to the floor in a matter of weeks," said Candace Corlett, a principal with retail consultancy WSL Strategic Retail in New York. "Zara isn't just cheap chic. It's better chic. Better fashion and price points that are higher than at H&M."

Zara's expansion in Boston reflects how merchants are recognizing the city's interest in fashion and the area's growing disposable income, said Madison Riley , a retail analyst with Kurt Salmon Associates. The arrival of stores like Barneys New York and Jimmy Choo in recent years underscores the growing importance of the Boston market. The city is hoping to capitalize on this interest to improve the retail mix and image of certain shopping districts -- with Downtown Crossing at the top of the list.

At a recent retail conference in Las Vegas, Mayor Thomas M. Menino courted department store JCPenney and North Carolina specialty grocer Fresh Market to locate at the new project in Downtown Crossing. Local officials who met with Vornado said the developer is open to talking with these potential merchants. Officials for JCPenney and Fresh Market said the retailers are looking to expand to the Boston market, but could not talk specifically about the Downtown Crossing site.

Jenn Abelson can be reached at abelson@globe.com.
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Zara is a nice surprise, I hadnt even thought of it before.
 
That's great news, the momentum will hopefully allow the redevelopment to proceed.
 
:evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil:
The Globe said:
Main Filene's Basement store to close till '09

Filene?s Basement Inc., unable to find temporary quarters during a massive rebuilding project in Boston?s Downtown Crossing, will close its legendary flagship store from Aug. 31 to spring 2009.

The chain said that when the flagship store reopens, its famous automatic markdowns on prices will resume, something that had been in doubt.

The store will close as a plan to redevelop the former Filene?s building into condominiums, a hotel, offices, and retail space kicks into high gear.

??After an exhaustive search, Filene?s Basement was unable to identify a temporary location that was large enough to accommodate their existing operations,?? the company said in a prepared statement.
(By Chris Reidy, Globe staff)
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This is bad for Downtown Crossing. Filene's Basement was one of the only draws left for that area. For it to close for almost two years is a blow to this area. Wasn't the vacant Barnes & Noble spot across the street still open? If so, why not that location?
 
Filene?s Basement will not have temporary home
By Scott Van Voorhis and Donna Goodison
Friday, June 15, 2007

Filene?s Basement confirmed yesterday that it will not operate a temporary Downtown Crossing store when its flagship Boston location closes this fall for two years of renovations as part of a redevelopment of the former Filene?s building.

The announcement drew criticism from Mayor Thomas M. Menino, who took aim at Basement executives for failing to find a temporary home for the store.

?That Filene?s Basement, which was so long a landmark in our city, was not able to think through the issue of where they can go in the future, is very unfortunate,? he said.

The mayor said at least two sites were available: the vacant former Barnes & Noble bookstore just across Washington Street; and the other in the new headquarters hotel at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center in the Seaport District - though that?s a long way from Downtown Crossing.

But a Basement spokeswoman emphasized that the retailer looked hard for alternative locations and even hired a broker for the effort. She said there weren?t any cost-effective options.

Menino is also concerned about the fate of the store?s employees, some of whom have worked there for as long as 35 years. But the Basement said an ?exhaustive search? did not yield a location large enough to accommodate its existing operations.

After it became clear that the Basement would have to vacate its space, the retailer reached out to its union and quickly came to a ?fair? settlement, the Basement spokeswoman said, adding that it also notified other downtown retailers that it?s fully committed to returning when renovations are completed.

The Basement, contrary to speculation, also announced it will retain its famous automatic markdown system when it reopens. Designed to ensure a faster turnover of merchandise, each item is marked with the date that it?s put on the selling floor.

Prices are then marked down according to a prescribed schedule of dates - listed on signs hanging from the ceiling - first by 25 percent, then 50 percent and 75 percent.
 
The Kensington lot is available, I understand. They could have erected a pre-engineered temporary metal building with (yes) a basement. The declasse aesthetic would have suited both Filene's basement and the mangy surroundings.
 
Sure, B&N may not be big enough for a full relocation of the entire Basement, but couldn't they have run a scaled-down operation in that temporary space?
 
The Herald said:
Multi-level stores a fit for Filene?s project?
By Scott Van Voorhis
Boston Herald Business Reporter
Thursday, June 21, 2007

New York mall developer Vornado, as it makes a $600 million-plus investment in Boston, is betting the Hub will warm to a shopping concept red-hot in Manhattan - ?vertical retail.?
Vornado Realty Trust - builder of multilevel retail projects in the Big Apple that have catered to big box and other retailers - is pushing this idea hard here as it moves ahead with the revamp of the historic Filene?s.
And so far, there are signs that some retailers, even smaller big-box chains with a penchant for sprawling, single-floor layouts, may be starting to take the bait.
Consumer electronics giant Best Buy recently had discussions with Vornado about a possible lease for tens of thousands of square feet in the redeveloped Filene?s complex, which would feature four floors of shops over a new and improved Filene?s Basement, real estate executives said.


While no lease deal is imminent, Best Buy hasn?t ruled out a deal at some point in the future after its new store on Newbury Street gets established, executives said. Vornado has teamed up with Boston tower developer John Hynes on the Filene?s redevelopment, which will include a 38-story office, hotel and condo tower.
?The whole point of that (Filene?s) project is vertical retail,? said Susan Elsbree, spokeswoman for the Boston Redevelopment Authority. ?That is what Vornado specializes in across the country. We think vertical retail will be very successful in that location,? she said.
Best Buy?s interest comes atop a growing buzz about the project?s retail potential, including budding lease deals with big-name retailers like Zara, a hip Spanish retailer, and Modell?s Sporting Goods. Vornado, in turn, can point to the success of multilevel urban retail projects in the Big Apple, including Union Square, where Filene?s Basement does business.
There are also encouraging signs elsewhere in Boston. Lowe?s Home Improvement has filed plans for a two-level store in Brighton along the Massachusetts Turnpike, a break from its typical pattern.
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Oh man, get ready for shopping cart escalators.

\/ Don't know about Mass but in New York City there are a few stores (Home Depot, etc..) with them. The first time I saw one it nearly blew my mind. \/
 
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