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Home admin 2020-01-22T00:49:45+00:00

Community Benefits

  • Activated Public Realm
  • Community Engagement
  • Smart Growth
  • Sustainable Design
  • Economic Development
  • Increased Employment
  • Improved Streetscape
  • New Public Realm
  • Enhanced Neighborhood Vibrancy
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Improved Streetscape

A transformative change to the existing streets to simplify the configuration, creating one way flow around a centralized island, to shorten pedestrian crossways and calm traffic while creating efficiency for vehicles. This redesign will create direct pathways for pedestrians and protected bike lanes. The result will also include wider sidewalks, new trees, landscape and artwork and street furniture.

Enhanced Neighborhood Vibrancy

With a diversity of uses, including ground floor retail and new hotel amenities, the experiences of living, working and visiting the neighborhood will be greatly enhanced and improved over current conditions.

Activated Public Realm

The new public connection between Brookline Avenue and Beacon Street will create an easier and safer way for pedestrians to move through Kenmore Square, while the new community space on the Beacon Street side will serve as an outdoor urban destination for residents and visitors alike.

New Public Realm

Envisioned by renowned urban planner, Jeff Speck, this proposal creates a new public square and reconfigures the pedestrian and traffic flows to a simpler and slimmer vehicular environment without worsening traffic. This will vastly improve the safety and experience of one of Boston’s most important public spaces for people driving, biking or walking.

Community Engagement

The updated proposal will be subject to Large Project Review under Article 80 requiring many public meetings, extensive comment period and opportunities for public collaboration. The new hotel will activate the ground floor with new open space available for the entire community. Additionally, this hotel will incorporate inclusive social spaces and collaborative meeting spaces to truly engage the entire neighborhood.

Smart Growth

The project is conveniently located near existing public transportation, including the MBTA’s Green Line Kenmore and Yawkey stations, the Commuter Rail and many bus routes. The proposed public realm changes make the area much more bicycle and pedestrian friendly, encouraging the use of greener, alternative transit options.

Sustainable Design

The projects will seek LEED-certifiable, Silver level, incorporating sustainable design features to preserve and protect the environment.

Economic Development

The addition of 389 hotel rooms, 32,000 square feet of new public realm space and dramatic improvements to the pedestrian and traffic flow will only add more vitality to a thriving destination. New visitors and residents will be able to experience all that Kenmore Square and Boston has to offer. This project will also create new property tax revenue and permanent jobs for the city.

Increased Employment

This project will bring 720 construction-related jobs and 130 diverse permanent jobs once occupied.

560 Commonwealth Avenue

  • Developer: Mark Investment
  • Address: 560 Commonwealth Avenue
  • Proposal: 28 Story, 389 room hotel with ground floor retail
  • 32,000 SF in new Public Realm
  • Four-star hotel, amenity space
  • Replacing: Single story bank building
  • Access: Lobby entrances located on Beacon Street and Commonwealth Avenue and rear of building
  • Loading: Beacon Street
  • Parking: Valet-only, none onsite

The Beacon Street Project

  • Developer: Buckminster Annex Corporation
  • Address: 645, 651 and 655-665 Beacon Street
  • Proposal: 19 story, 295 room hotel with 145 space underground parking garage and ground floor retail and top floor public amenity space. New pedestrian connector and outdoor public-accessible destination between Beacon Street and Brookline Avenue
  • Replacing: Single story parking structure and four-story building at 655-665 Beacon Street
  • Access: Beacon Streets and Brookline Avenue
  • Loading: Beacon Street
  • Parking: 145 below-grade spaces

Site Plan

This updated proposal is a transformative project by Mark Development proposing a new hotel at 560 Commonwealth Avenue, which includes a $15 million public realm investment that will create a real “square” in Kenmore Square and dramatically enhance the pedestrian and bicycle experience. Based on community feedback, the project was altered to move away from the closest residential neighbor, Kenmore Tower, to create a new public plaza and improve the pedestrian, bicycle and traffic flow in Kenmore Square.

Comment on this project

This updated proposal is a transformative project by Mark Development proposing a new hotel at 560 Commonwealth Avenue, which includes a $15 million public realm investment that will create a real “square” in Kenmore Square and dramatically enhance the pedestrian and bicycle experience. Based on community feedback, the project was altered to move away from the closest residential neighbor, Kenmore Tower, to create a new public plaza and improve the pedestrian, bicycle and traffic flow in Kenmore Square.

Comment on this project
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  • The Project

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  • Schedule

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  • The Project

About the project:

Mark Development spent an extensive amount of time reviewing the scoping determination and public comments that were provided following the initial public submission to the Boston Planning and Development Agency in Spring of 2018.  The team heard the concerns of the community members: the proposed hotel was too close to Kenmore Tower, the traffic and pedestrian environment was generally unsafe and could only get worse, and the public realm was completely insufficient.  As a result, Jeff Speck, renowned urban planner was hired to provide a vision to truly transform Kenmore Square and address these real concerns. The effect is a dramatic investment to create safe and enjoyable pedestrian experience in Kenmore Square, new traffic patterns, usable public realm components and a new 28 story, 389 room hotel building, accommodating a four-star caliber hotel, with ground floor retail.

This newly designed proposal represents a dramatic improvement to the public realm, creating a vibrant pedestrian experience and meaningful changes that connects the neighborhood, truly creating a square in Kenmore Square.

Learn More Here

This updated project seeks to actively capitalize on Kenmore Square’s superb proximity to sports venues, cultural destinations and Downtown Boston accessed by foot, bike or the MBTA Kenmore or Yawkey Stations with Green Line trains and many bus routes. The new hotel with the dramatic public realm component will perpetuate the ongoing transition of Kenmore Square from a busy confluence of vehicular traffic and pedestrians traveling through, to a reconfigured square with dramatically improved and more accessible pedestrian, bicycle and vehicular paths. The transformation of Kenmore Square will continue with this collaborative project that includes a significant capital investment to establish more public space, substantial sidewalk improvements and landscape features, in addition to vibrant uses for area residents and visitors to enjoy the iconic, thoughtfully designed building, creating a “place” in Kenmore Square.

Press:

  • Documents and Presentation

  • PNF.pdf

  • IAG_Presentation_BPDA.pdf

  • Letter of Intent (LOI).pdf

  • 2019 01 29 IAG Presentation_novideo.pdf

  • Schedule

  • Letter of Intent Filed: May 26, 2017

  • Project Notification Form Filed: March 9, 2018

  • Draft Project Impact Report Filed: TBD

  • Permitting and Community Engagement: The updated proposal will be subject to Large Project Review under Article 80, requiring a submission of a Draft and Final Project Impact Report. Multiple meetings will occur along with a public comment period.

  • Comment Period: Ends TBD

  • Impact Advisory Group Meeting: Wednesday, March 28th

  • IAG Meeting #2: Tuesday, January 29, 2019

  • IAG Meeting #3: Monday, May 13, 2019 at BU 565 Commonwealth Avenue, room 106

  • Public Meeting: April 23, 2018 at 565 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston University Classroom #1

  • Public Meeting #2: Wednesday, May 8, 2019 at 6pm at BU 610 Commonwealth Avenue, 1st Floor

  • BCDC Approval: 12/3/2019

  • BPDA Board Approval: 12/12/2019

  • Construction Start: 2020

  • Occupancy: Spring 2022

Process:

  • Boston Planning & Development Agency (BPDA): Large Project Review (Article 80), Planned Development Area approval

  • Contact Tim Czerwienski (Project Manager): tim.czerwienski@boston.gov 617.918.5303

  • Boston Zoning Commission: Zoning Map Amendment, PDA Development Plan

  • Boston Civic Design Review: Schematic design review

  • Boston Public Improvement Commission

  • Boston Transportation Department: Transportation Access Plan, Construction Management Plan, Street and Sidewalk Occupancy Permits

  • Boston Water & Sewer Commission

  • Boston Inspectional Services Department: Building and Occupancy permits

  • Boston Fire Department: Life safety systems permits and approvals

  • Updates

January 1, 2020

After a rigorous and effective community outreach and permitting process, the One Kenmore project received approval from the BPDA on December 12, 2019. The project will now begin the other approval processes including through the Zoning Commission, Public Improvement Commission and will work closely with the Boston Planning and Development Agency, Boston Parks Department, MBTA, Boston Transportation Department, Inspectional Services Department and the Boston Fire Department to finalize the design of the public plaza, new street layout and the building design in order to begin construction later this year.

By Doug| 2020-01-22T00:51:03+00:00 January 22nd, 2020|Categories: Updates|0 Comments
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April 29, 2019 Update

Our first public meeting for the updated project will be held on Wednesday, May 8th at 6pm at Boston University 610 Commonwealth Avenue, 1st Floor. We encourage all interested community members to attend and learn more about this updated project.  

By Doug| 2019-05-02T12:55:36+00:00 May 2nd, 2019|Categories: Updates|0 Comments
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January 29, 2019 Update

January 29, 2019 Update

The BPDA hosted our first IAG meeting tonight, the first opportunity to unveil our new team, Studio Gang as the architect of record, Jeff Speck, renowned urban planner and Landscape Architect, Reed Hilderbrand and the brand new vision for the hotel at 560 Commonwealth Avenue. The changes include moving the proposed building away from our residential neighbors in Kenmore Tower, and most notably, creating 30,000 of new public realm for the benefit of the entire community to enjoy. The new proposal reconfigures streets to make Kenmore Square safer and more accessible for pedestrians and bicyclists, and improved traffic patterns to respect the square.

Changes summarized here.

Changes January 29, 2019

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By admin| 2019-02-07T02:05:19+00:00 February 6th, 2019|Categories: Updates|0 Comments
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April 24, 2018 Update

The BPDA hosted our first public meeting for the two proposed hotels in Kenmore Square.  It was the first opportunity for the development team to present the proposed development program, schematic design and public realm improvements and the first chance for the community to view and comment on the project. This is the very first step in the community participation process and many good questions and concerns were raised at the meeting.  The development team took copious notes and will be studying all of the concerns raised at the meeting, including traffic, emergency vehicle access, public realm, shadows and construction safeguards.  The BPDA will incorporate the feedback from the community in to their “Scoping Determination” which will dictate to our team what areas need to be studied and detailed in a comprehensive report called a Draft Project Impact Report (DPIR).  Following the scope, our team of architects, engineers and other professionals will take time to study every area of interest and we will draft the DPIR and submit back to the BPDA and city agencies.  That completed report will be sent out to all members of the Impact Advisory Group and will be available on this website as soon as it is submitted.  We expect to submit the DPIR sometime in the late summer or early fall of 2018.”

By admin| 2018-04-27T06:01:51+00:00 April 27th, 2018|Categories: Updates|0 Comments
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March 29, 2018 Update

The Boston Planning and Development Agency (BPDA) hosted our first Impact Advisory Group (IAG) Meeting at the Buckminster Hotel on Wednesday March 28th.  Our joint development team was represented by our architects from CBT and Group One.  Many excellent questions were raised by members of the IAG and the general public.  We took copious notes of areas of interested and where further study is required.  The project will be scoped by the BPDA and will be required to respond to the questions of the interested constituents in a more comprehensive submission, which will be available on this site once submitted.  Areas of interest and further study included:

  • Construction Management Plan
  • Viewpoints from adjacent buildings
  • Traffic and impacts on MBTA
  • Shadows
  • List of participating public agencies
  • Deliveries and loading
By admin| 2018-04-28T08:39:43+00:00 April 6th, 2018|Categories: Updates|0 Comments
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