Simon Property Group, Inc., one of the country's largest owner, developer and manager of high quality retail real estate, and the owner of Copley Place, is planning an expansion for the Neiman Marcus store as well as the addition of residential condominiums at Copley Place. The expansion of Neiman Marcus and the specialty shops will ensure the city of Boston's retail pre-eminence within the entire metropolitan region. This significant financial commitment on the part of Simon and Neiman Marcus will greatly contribute to the economic growth and retail vitality in the city of Boston.
Simon commenced the public approval process for the Copley Place expansion project by submitting a Letter of Intent (LOI) to the Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA) that outlines the scope of the project and the anticipated benefits to the city.
Expansion plans call for a full renovation of the existing 115,000 s/f Neiman Marcus and the addition of 54,000 s/f of retail space to the current store. This exciting project will also include an additional 60,000 s/f of new retail and restaurant space and a public Winter Garden. The Winter Garden will replace the existing Stuart St. plaza with a four-season, park-like space incorporating public amenities.
The residential component of the project is comprised of approximately 300 residential condominiums and sought-after amenities such as a health facility, day spa, resident library and 24-hour concierge service. The residential building will be above the expanded Neiman Marcus store and Winter Garden base.
Howard Elkus of Elkus Manfredi Architects of Boston, the design firm for this project says, "The new residential building and retail expansion at Copley Place is an opportunity to capitalize on many of the smart growth concepts used in the original design of Copley Place. The retail expansion will dramatically improve the quality of the urban experience at the pedestrian level with generous window openings, polished granite accents, a park-like Winter Garden, expansion of the Neiman Marcus store and brand new retail venues. The sculpted glass form of the new residential building will bring a fresh new profile to the Boston skyline."
The project design incorporates smart growth concepts and is designed to meet the U.S. Green Building Council standards for a LEED certification. The site design takes full advantage of existing public transportation and facilitates pedestrian flow around and into the complex. It is further expected that this significant project will create approximately 1,700 new construction jobs and 250 permanent jobs at Copley Place as well as incremental sales and property tax receipts for the City of Boston.
In addition to Elkus Manfredi Architects of Boston, the project manager is R.F. Walsh Project Management.