Landmarks Project Spotlight: 212 Stuart Street

The new building will be a 19-story tower with modern finishes. The site is currently a parking lot situated at the edge of the Back Bay high spine of buildings. Not long ago, the parcel was home to a 3-story commercial building, which was demolished in 2014. The tower is not the first proposal for the site. In 2008 the Bay Village Historic District Commission (BVHDC) approved a 10-story building at this site that was never constructed.

In 2017, the Commission conducted two advisory reviews of this project, which was then approved in December 2018. The BVHDC praised the owner, Transom Real Estate, for their thoughtful work. Throughout the entire process, Transom responded to the Commission and area resident feedback promptly. The Commission noted that this project will occupy a unique site at the boundary of the low-scale Bay Village and the edge of the Back Bay high spine of buildings. Here, the building's position gently graduates from the tall buildings of Back Bay to the historic structures of Bay Village. For this reason, the approval does not set a precedent for future construction in the district.

Once completed, 212 Stuart Street is planned to include 133 apartments. Eleven of those apartments are to be designated as affordable. There will also be retail space at the ground level. The tower is designed by architecture firm Hoewler and Yoon and will be clad in light-colored stone with accent metalwork.