Boston developer Donald Chiofaro said he learned his lesson after withdrawing a controversial proposal for two skyscrapers on the waterfront two years ago.
The new design that he released Wednesday calls for 1.3 million square feet of new development, down from 1.5 million square feet in the earlier proposal. But Chiofaro and his architects spent most of their time talking about what the new version has added, not taken away.
Harbor Square, a 27,000-square-foot plaza, would be built between the two towers, forming a giant breezeway between the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway and Boston Harbor. A retractable transparent canopy would cover the plaza in the winter, with the space envisioned as a gathering spot for parties, farmer’s markets and winter ice skating.
"It’s 165 feet wide along Atlantic Avenue. It’s a funnel, it’s an invitation to the 18 million people who come to visit Faneuil Hall every year," Chiofaro said at a community meeting. "It’s an invitation to come and visit the city."
Taking the place of the existing seven-story parking garage would be two towers containing 700,000 square feet of office space, 120 residential units, a 250- to 300-room hotel and three levels of retail. The 1,400 parking spaces would be replaced below ground.
The current plan is estimated at $1 billion and would take three years to build.
Renderings released Wednesday did not show the entire towers, but Chiofaro’s design team said they will take a "slender, elegant form" in order to maximize open space on the 1.3-acre site.
At 600 and 550 feet, the buildings would require waivers from the Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA) for exceeding height limits for waterfront buildings. The BRA is preparing a municipal harbor plan that would require developers who receive waivers to provide public access or pay for projects that would maximize public enjoyment of the waterfront.
Chiofaro’s presentation took place at a meeting of the Municipal Harbor Planning Advisory Committee, which has been meeting with owners of key properties in the central waterfront to talk about redevelopment of their sites.
Chiofaro had proposed a 59- and 40-story tower on the site in 2009, but withdrew the plan in 2012 amid opposition from former Mayor Thomas Menino and neighborhood residents.
A BRA report released this spring recommended that any redevelopment of the harbor garage property should contain open space along Milk Street and the waterfront, along with pedestrian access.
