South Station Tower facts for kids

The South Station Tower is a tall building, called a skyscraper, being built in Boston, Massachusetts. It's part of a bigger project with three buildings. The first part, a 51-story tower with offices and homes, started being built in January 2020. It should be finished around 2024.

This tower is being built right on top of Boston's old and famous South Station. This is a cool idea called "transit-oriented development," meaning buildings are placed near train or bus stations to make it easy for people to get around. The whole project will have apartments (condominiums), offices, parking, and maybe even a hotel. The idea for this building came from two groups: Hines Interests and TUDC, which is connected to Tufts University.

A new, bigger bus station is also part of this first phase. It will use a strong base, called a foundation, that was built when South Station was updated in the 1980s. The tall tower will have its own new foundation built next to the train tracks. People walking around will be guided safely away from the construction areas.

Building History

The South Station Tower was first planned to start building in 2008 and finish by 2010. But the project stopped for a while. It was approved to build a very large space, about 2,190,000 square feet (203,000 m²).

In March 2016, the builders said the tower would start construction in early 2017. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) even approved the tower to be 677 feet tall. The right to build on the land was supposed to end in April 2017, but the state gave them more time. Construction was paused because of concerns from the MBTA (the local transit authority), but the project kept moving forward.

This picture shows the strong bases, called foundation piers, that were put in place in the 1980s for a future tall building. They are spaced 35 feet apart between the train tracks. These will help support the new bus station. New foundation piers will also be built for the tower itself.

Building above the train tracks has been delayed many times. The idea for this building came from Tufts University president Jean Mayer. He imagined a "center for important medical research" in downtown Boston. In 1991, Tufts created a company called TUDC LLC and got the rights to build in the space above the tracks. Building near the Boston waterfront is tricky because rules say people must be able to walk to the water. In 1997, TUDC teamed up with Hines Interests LP.

In 2007, people wondered about Tufts University's role in the project, and Tufts left the project in 2009. The South Station Tower was first designed to be 759 feet tall, including a pointy top. But the plan was made smaller in 2006.

In July 2016, the builders suggested some changes, like adding more homes to the project. They planned for the tower to start building in 2017. In December 2016, the board of the Boston Planning and Development Agency (BPDA) approved the project. It was delayed again to 2018 because of issues with MBTA rights. Construction officially began in February 2020 and is expected to take five years to complete.

Building Design

The first ideas for the tower's look were created by architect César Pelli. His designs often remind people of his other buildings, like the Wells Fargo Center in Minneapolis. The building has been recognized for being environmentally friendly. It received a "silver" pre-certification from LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) and won the EPA's "Green design" award. This means it's planned to be energy-efficient and good for the planet.

Images for kids

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  Construction in April 2021