Millennium Place in Boston has been named one of the Urban Land Institute’s 26 worldwide finalists in its annual Awards for Excellence competition. The property is the only New England development named as a finalist.
Millennium Place, the sprawling mixed-use development that pierces the Boston skyline with its Ritz-Carlton Hotel and residences, has been named one of the Urban Land Institute’s 26 worldwide finalists in its annual Awards for Excellence competition.
It’s the only New England development named as a finalist, with its closest competitors in Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia. Other contenders include developments in California, North Carolina, Ohio, Japan, China and Turkey.
“It deserves that special recognition, there’s no question about that,” said Mark Maloney, executive director of the Boston Redevelopment Authority.
Maloney credits Millennium Place with furthering the trend of investment in and around the Hub’s Chinatown neighborhood. The development, which rose out of a parking lot, includes more than 1.8 million square feet of retail space, restaurants, two hotels, 87 extended-stay suites and 304 apartments. The high-rise towers are also home to the upscale Sports Club/L.A., now with about 7,000 members, and the 19-screen Loew’s Cinema.
“Emerson [College] began their move to the neighborhood first, Millennium recognized that, and it was their development that led others to actively invest in the neighborhood,” Maloney said.
‘Derelict’ Area
Besides attracting developers to the area, Millennium Place added public parking with its 850-space garage neatly tucked underground. Millennium sits on the edge of Boston Common, a block away from Downtown Crossing and adjacent to the MBTA’s Park Street, Boylston and Silver Line stops. The project included the Boston Redevelopment Authority, the development team and more than 24 community groups.
The owner and developer, Millennium Partners/MDA Assoc. in Boston, was joined on the project by local firms CBT/Childs Bertman Tseckares Architects, Bovis Lend Lease and Haley & Aldrich. New York City firms Gary Edward Handel & Assoc., DeSimone Consulting Engineers and Cosentini Assoc. also partnered with Millennium on the project.
Millennium Place has sold 65 percent and leased 15 percent of its residential units, while its retail space remains 87 percent leased. The complex opened in 2001.
The site initially was cleared of its office buildings in the late 1970s and early 1980s by a private developer that had plans for an office and retail complex. Financing for that project did not materialize and the vacant land became a parking lot until Millennium Partners began developing the site.
“In 1997, 1998, it was basically a derelict end of Washington Street,” said David Hancock of CBT Architects. “This project put a major anchor at the end of Washington, brought a lot of life back to the neighborhood and recreated Avery Street, which hadn’t existed as anything more than an alley for more than 25 years.”
Anne Meyers, president of the Downtown Crossing Association, said that Millennium Place increased the amount of pedestrian traffic in the Washington Street area.
“It made a huge difference; you really notice it,” she said. “The more people there are walking around, the more comfortable a place becomes.”
The Avery Street of today splits Millennium Place in two, forming an urban, outside mall. The complex has 17 street-level entrances, designed to increase the flow of pedestrian traffic across the block.
“We saw it differently,” said Tony Pangaro, principal of Millennium Partners. “We anticipated a different series of uses, not just office or strict retail; I think that had something to do with it. We also have a special relationship with the Sports Club/L.A., Loew’s and the Ritz Carlton, and also a strong relationship with bankers.”
Millennium Partners, based in New York City, developed 10 St. James Ave. in Boston’s Back Bay and has since rehabilitated the original Ritz-Carlton on Arlington Street, also in the Back Bay. Millennium Partners also has developments in San Francisco and Miami.
The Urban Land Institute’s finalists were chosen from 109 entries. Projects were evaluated on the basis of financial visibility, resourceful use of land, design, relevance to contemporary issues and sensitivity to the community and environment. Award criteria include leadership, contribution to the community, innovations, public and private partnerships, environmental protection and enhancement, response to social needs and financial success.
The Urban Land Institute began its Awards for Excellence in 1979 with the goal of recognizing the achievement of excellence in land-use practice. The winners will be announced during the Urban Land Institute’s Fall Meeting in San Francisco. Political satirist Al Franken will emcee the event.
The program has evolved from recognizing one development in North America into an international competition with multiple winners and categories, including the Heritage Award, which recognizes projects at least 25 years old that set the highest standards for excellence.
