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Image courtesy The Architectural Team
Resident move-ins have begun at the Bower, the first phase of the 1.3 million-square-foot Fenway Center air rights development that’s been in the works for nearly two decades.
The 312-unit apartment complex comprises a pair of 8- and 14-story towers built next to the MBTA’s Lansdowne commuter rail station. Rents start at $2,788 and range up to $6,038.
The $240 million project broke ground in 2017 after developer John Rosenthal of Meredith Management partnered with Portland, Oregon-based Gerding Edlen and Nuveen on the residential portion of the Fenway Center project. Union Labor Life Insurance Co. and SunTrust Bank provided construction financing.
Units feature open floor plans, and the two buildings share amenities including a 12,500-square-foot plaza, two roof decks, a rooftop pool deck with cabanas and fire pits, and conference and coworking spaces. Designed by The Architectural Team of Chelsea, the building’s apartments are equipped with View Smart Glass that tints in response to changing natural light conditions or commands from a mobile app.
Developers are touting the outdoor amenities and natural light as an antidote to cabin fever during COVID-19.
“Given the amount of time we spend at home – especially in the midst of a pandemic – it is essential we design spaces we enjoy, and which promote health and our well-being,” Gerding Edlen Managing Partner Kelly Saito said in a statement.
The Bower’s second building is scheduled for completion in September. The project team includes John Moriarty & Assoc., Copley Wolff Design Group and Planeta Design Group.
A subsequent commercial phase approved by Boston Planning and Development Agency in March includes 720,000 square feet of office and lab space on air rights above the Massachusetts Turnpike.
Another Turnpike air rights project is under construction on the Massachusetts Department of Transportation’s parcel 12 at Newbury Street and Massachusetts Ave. Samuels & Assoc. is constructing a new citizenM hotel and office tower for Cambridge-based CarGurus in a $700-million project known as 1001 Boylston.
