A topping off ceremony celebration for the final concrete pour in the vertical construction of the residential tower at Bulfinch Crossing occurred Thursday afternoon. The building is part of a larger 2.9-million-square-foot multi-phased development project of the Government Center Garage. The residential building, located at 100 Sudbury, will accommodate 423 residences, of which 55 will be condominiums.
Over 400 men and women from the Boston Building Trades, AECOM Tishman, along with project owners National Real Estate Advisors, LLC on behalf of their clients and The HYM Investment Group, LLC, and lender Pacific Life Insurance Company, attended the ceremony that signaled the completion of the first residential tower at Bulfinch Crossing. Free lunch was provided for the workers to honor their hours of labor put in since breaking ground in 2017.
“From demolition and excavation to today’s topping off, the work of the construction team on this project has been a true feat,” said Jeffrey J. Kanne, President and Chief Executive Officer, National Real Estate Advisors. “As a company that manages investments on behalf of hundreds of thousands of union members, we’re proud of the quality work that all of these men and women have put in over the last two years to build this exceptional building.”
“This topping off brings the first Bulfinch Crossing residential tower another step closer to completion,” said Thomas N. O’Brien, Founding Partner and Managing Director, The HYM Investment Group. “Soon, Bulfinch Crossing residents will be able to take advantage of this building’s unparalleled amenities, views and location. We’re grateful for the hard work of all of the people at every step of this design and construction process who are bringing this building to life.” He addressed the large group of workers present for the celebration, commenting on the office building, One Congress, where construction is anticipated to begin following the residential tower.
View of the North End from the 34th floor. 
View of Downtown from the 34th floor.
The Government Center Garage Redevelopment Project has been much debated by the neighborhood associations of the North End, West End, and Beacon Hill specifically regarding the environmental impacts of the project. In a 2014 joint letter, the associations wrote that the project “will have serious impacts to the urban and natural environment and to the quality of life in our neighborhoods”. The loss of already limited parking spaces for nearby developing areas also caused some concern as the project proposed decreasing the formerly existing 2,300 parking spaces by more than half.
The Bulfinch Crossing residential tower highlighted the expectation that future residents, employees, and visitors would utilize the various public transit options available on-site and nearby. The building also anticipates the introduction of a Hubway bike station as well as on-site car rentals. Concerns were raised regarding the intent to reduce a four-lane road into a three-lane road with a bike path and how that will effect the flow of traffic. Other issues were that the MBTA’s current infrastructure may not be prepared for the increased ridership that will be generated. Residents also worried that such a massive project would overwhelm an already busy area.
As seen above, the project team addressed the concerns of wind and shadow on the Greenway by designing the buildings to step down to be more in-line with the existing buildings. The project also boasts opening Congress Street to sunlight and sky for the first time in over 40 years and creating a new net-zero energy pedestrian public square.
Rendering of residents’ view from the residential tower. 
Rendering of. the residential tower’s final design.
Although the project has brought controversy, proponents contend the development will revitalize an otherwise underused part of downtown Boston. Set to begin pre-sales and leasing in January 2020, the residential tower at Bulfinch Crossing will open in Spring 2020. The building will be followed by the construction of One Congress, a one-million-square-foot office building on New Chardon St, expected to be completed in 2023.
