Today, the Boston Redevelopment Authority Board of Directors gave the go-ahead to the Clarendon, a development that will bring 350 new units of housing to the Back Bay, and will include a combination of rental and homeownership opportunities with 13% on-site affordability. The Clarendon, located on the corner of Clarendon and Stuart Streets across from the John Hancock Building, includes the 131 Clarendon Street building and the adjacent surface parking lot abutting the Hard Rock Café.

The nine-story building located at 131 Clarendon Street, currently occupied by the Hard Rock Café and offices, will be retained and a new, state-of-the-art United States Postal Service facility will be included in the new building to replace the existing facility. The project will comprise of approximately 443,300 square feet of gross floor area and provide an underground parking garage for 393 vehicles.

“The Clarendon will bring with it important economic development opportunities. New vibrant ground floor retail and restaurant will create about more than a hundred new permanent jobs. Coupled with new housing, these uses will activate the streetscape 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” said BRA Director Mark Maloney. “Also, the significant level of affordability will ensure that the Clarendon becomes home to individuals with a diverse range of incomes. The project will also benefit the city by providing new annual real estate taxes, plus sales and restaurant taxes.”

The project, originally proposed in 2004, has evolved significantly through a productive public process. Throughout the course of the process, the development team has worked with the community in a dialogue that has helped shape the project approved today.

The ongoing efforts with the public included valuable work with the Impact Advisory Group, the entity assembled to provide recommendations for community benefits. Today’s approval also makes way for a number of public benefits, including environment and transportation upgrades as well as economic benefits and overall quality of life improvements.

The development team will make a contribution of $825,000 for use toward community benefit projects as designated by the BRA, including the funding of the Stuart Street Corridor Planning Study in Back Bay.

The Clarendon is applauded as a great example of a smart growth project; it is a transit oriented development and will also become a “green” building, which means it will incorporate green design elements and will seek the US Green Building Council’s “Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design” (LEED) certification.

The development team, Clarendon Street Associates, is a joint venture between The Related Companies and The Beal Companies. The project has been designed by Robert A.M. Stern in conjunction with CBT Architects.

The project awaits approval by the Zoning Board of Appeal.

Press Contact: Meredith Baumann, 617.918.4351.

Release Date: June 30, 2005