City of Quincy, Beal/Street-Works unveil new Quincy Center designs

Quincy mayor Thomas Koch and Beal/Street-Works unveiled formal construction drawings and plans for the opening phase of the city's historic $1.6 billion Quincy Center development scheduled to break ground in 2013. The $120 million plans includes a 15-story apartment building and 5-story residential building featuring loft-style units in the centerpiece block of Quincy Center that is anchored by the Granite Trust Building at 1400 Hancock St. The design also includes a new pedestrian-friendly promenade behind the existing Granite Trust building, connecting Hancock St. to Chestnut St. and creating additional ground-floor retail space. In total, the plan includes 30,000 s/f of retail space. The voluminous formal package of plans filed by Beal/Street-Works details ranges from architectural drawings, schematics, unit layouts in buildings, utility installation, new streetscapes and down to the type of material used for building exteriors. "We are moving from concepts and ideas to bricks and steel. This is happening," said mayor Koch. "We are creating our own destiny in Quincy, and that is the result of the work of so many people over the last several years." The filing is part of an accelerated portion of the development program negotiated by mayor Koch and Beal/Street-Works in the Spring, creating a new first stage of the project and allowing it start months earlier than originally projected based on market response to the project. Construction is expected to begin in the first quarter of 2013, and with the original first stage anticipated to begin as scheduled later in the year. "You have to create the place," said Ken Narva, the founding partner of Street-Works. "It was important in the city's point of view that we pick those blocks to establish the downtown, so there is a place and would reflect the mix of program that makes a successful downtown neighborhood." The delivery of construction drawings triggers a review by the city's planning board, which will ultimately ensure that the plans meet the technical guidelines of the city's downtown guidelines. A public hearing hosted by the planning board will be held as part of that process, although no date has been set. As part of the filing, Street-Works paid the city $250,000 that will help pay for consultants and other experts, in accordance with the master development agreement to review the plans as part of the Planning Board process. Beal/Street-Works is committed to creating the next generation of livable and sustainable downtowns. We believe that by both honoring history and embracing innovation, we can combine the best of the past and the future to create exceptional urban spaces where people will want to live, work, play—and stay. We balance bold and original approaches to development with responsible financial stewardship. Together, Beal/Street-Works is re-imagining what is possible for development in the 21st century.