The hotel-residential tower (left) planned for the 776 Summer St. development in South Boston. Image courtesy of Gensler

Developer HRP submitted designs for the first buildings that will break ground at the former Boston Edison property in South Boston, including a hotel-residential tower connecting to the 127-year-old turbine hall and a pair of apartment buildings.

The lab space glut prompted HRP to move first on the 636-unit residential phase of the 1.7 million-square-foot redevelopment project, after demolishing most of the former power plant buildings in the past three years.

An 18-story, 240-room hotel and residential tower is proposed connecting to the 1898 Turbine Hall, which will be converted into amenity and hotel event space including a multi-story lobby and roof deck shared with the hotel. The 10 stories of housing would sit atop the hotel and amenity space, according to a submission to the Boston Planning Department.

One 10-story and one 7-story apartment building are proposed along East First Street, totaling 390,500 square feet.

Commercial buildings planned for the site will not be built on speculation in the current environment, developers said at a public presentation last fall. But the filing also includes a 10-story, 335,000-square-foot office/R&D building at the corner of Summer and East First streets.

Developers also pledge to build two acres of public park space, equivalent to 35 percent of the total approved in the overall project’s master plan, in the proposed phase.

Housing on the eastern portion of the property, closest to the Conley Container Terminal, was enabled by the lifting of a deed restriction by Massport last year.

Although the property is located near the Reserved Channel, a study by Woods Hole Group concluded that threat of flooding is “relatively minor and easily repairable” and doesn’t pose a safety threat to residents, the supplemental filing states. The project will rebuild an existing seawall and elevate low-lying portions of the site to minimize flood risk.

Architects also designed the eastern-most apartment building to limit east-facing windows and their exposure to the container terminal’s noise and industrial activity, according to the filing.

The review applies to nearly 7 acres on the 15-acre site at 776 Summer St.

A public comment period on the submission runs through Feb. 17, and a public meeting is scheduled for Feb. 3.

A rendering shows the proposed design for the “Block B” residential building at the 776 Summer St. development in South Boston. Image courtesy of Gensler

A rendering shows an arch across the 776 Summer St. development’s main internal road connecting the former power plant site’s ex-turbine halls. To the left and right in the foreground are office-lab buildings. Image courtesy of Gensler

A rendering shows the proposed design for the “Block A” residential building on the southeast corner of the 776 Summer St. development in South Boston. Image courtesy of Gensler