It seems like shops and restaurants are constantly closing in the Theater District and Downtown Crossing, while new ones are emerging. Massive beautification and renovation projects are being done fit the changing community in a relatively small space.
Take a look at all the changes coming to the area.
THEATER DISTRICT, DOWNTOWN CROSSING CHANGES
It seems like shops and restaurants are constantly closing in the Theater District and Downtown Crossing, while new ones are emerging. Massive beautification and renovation projects are being done fit the changing community in a relatively small space.
Take a look at all the changes coming to the area.
Windsor Button closes
A downtown business that has provided buttons and much more to Boston for nearly 80 years recently closed its doors for good.
Windsor Button, the Temple Place store that offers yarn and buttons, sewing and needlework products, lost its lease when the landlord decided to renovate the building .
Promised for years, the revitalization of the city’s long-struggling downtown is finally underway, with construction of residential towers transforming the largely commercial area into a full-blown neighborhood.
The supply of housing is planned to double to more than 10,000 units in coming years, according to the Boston Redevelopment Authority, and there is a sudden influx of retail shops and restaurants.
Two residential towers are under construction and a third is planned at Filene’s, where developers have won approval for a 625-foot apartment and condominium tower that will become a new marker on the downtown skyline.
Downtown is finally emerging as a viable housing alternative to Boston’s other neighborhoods, where a shortage of available units is pushing buyers to look elsewhere. City officials are hoping the wave of construction brings much-needed retail staples, such as a supermarket, as well as stores that don’t currently operate in the area.
.
The Kensington, an apartment tower being constructed near where Chinatown meets Downtown Crossing will feature a pool, solarium, and yoga lounge.
Pests no more, say Boston officials. City officials announced in November they will ramp up efforts to eliminate rodents and other pests in Downtown Crossing after environmental officials found signs of infestations and health and sanitation problems during a crackdown. The beautification project will also clean the trash piling in the area.
In October 2012, David Ray, the owner of the upscale restaurant Locke-Ober sold the building on Winter Place in Downtown Crossing and shut his restaurant. The move was seen as a testament to the economic times. It’s unclear which new establishments will occupy the building.
In June 2012, hostel fans celebrated the grand opening of the new Boston hostel inside the 124-year-old Dill Building at 19 Stuart St., on the edges of both Chinatown and the Theater District.
In May 2012, Panera Bread opened at the corner of Tremont and Stuart streets in the Theater District. The new bakery/café occupied a storefront that had sat vacant since a 7-Eleven store moved to another location in the same block.
The Revere overhauled the space that once was The Radisson and Stuart Street Playhouse, and introduced a newer, more modern hotel to the theater district. Rivaling the ambiance of its neighbor, the W Boston, The Revere includes 356 rooms, a new nightlife concept called the Emerald Lounge, and two entertainment venues — one for film, presentation, and live entertainment and the other a multipurpose setting for events.
In August 2012, AvalonBay Communities Inc. submitted a proposal to build a 404-unit apartment tower adjacent to the Jacob Wirth restaurant. If approved, the proposed complex would replace an existing parking lot with a 29-story tower that would also include a five-level valet parking garage with 198 spaces.
Pictured left: Apartment buildings by AvalonBay Communities planned for Assembly Row in Somerville.
Sharing the old Bina Osteria space, the new wine bar and prepared specialty foods shop Sip Wine Bar and Avery Provisions Co. opened July 2012 in the Theater District.
In November 2012, Five Guys opened its first burgers and fries restaurant in Boston at 58 Summer St. in Downtown Crossing.
The MBTA activated electronic countdown signs in September 2012 at the Downtown Crossing Station telling riders when the next trains will roll in.
Feeling lost after learning about all the changes? Consult an ambassador for the Downtown Boston Business Improvement District. You can find them walking around different parts of the city, including Downtown Crossing and the Theater District. Their core responsibility is helping people find their way around the confusing streets of downtown.
