Revitalizing An Underdeveloped Neighborhood

In 2013, BXP and Delaware North Companies (DNC) formed a partnership to develop a 1.9 million SF, mixed-use development on the 2.8-acre site of the original Boston Garden arena and North Station, named The Hub on Causeway (The Hub). This new “vertical city within a city” features retail, high-concept dining, entertainment, residential, hotel, and creative office space atop one of the Boston’s largest transportation hubs. The epitome of a transit-oriented development, The Hub breathes new life into a once underdeveloped neighborhood. Its robust mix of uses represents a major step in the revitalization of the area. This development revitalized the North Station transportation hub, added much needed improvements to the area, all while providing a model for what’s possible in the activation of areas surrounding transit hubs and sports & entertainment venues - while advancing sustainability.

Community

One of the guiding principles of the project was to connect to the surrounding neighborhood and entice both local residents and visitors. Programming and community spaces were developed to attract a variety of people during all points of a 24-hour lifecycle. The overall result includes a thoughtful and intentional mix of uses, designed to co-exist and support the activation of the neighborhood, providing an economic engine in addition to the existing activities within the arena. The development of The Hub and improvements to North Station, including the addition of an underground connection between the MBTA and commuter rail lines and the addition of the 60,000 SF Star supermarket - the city's largest grocery store - revitalized the area. Over 10,000 SF of outdoor space anchors the new entrance to TD Garden and North Station. The 60-foot wide, 120-foot high covered plaza is open 24/7 serving as a gathering space, transit passageway, shopping destination, and providing space for public programming.

Site-wide Sustainability

With seamless circulation by foot, bus, rail, bike or wheelchair, this development marks the departure from single-occupancy internal combustion vehicles as a dominant mode of transport in Boston, advancing climate action & mobility with 568 bike storage spaces, 100 electric vehicle stations, and 175 dedicated EV/plug-in hybrid spaces. The design features a high performance building envelope, with daylight & views for an improved indoor environment; a 100K gallon rainwater harvesting system for cooling tower makeup for the podium. Balconies, operable windows, and “garage doors” provide natural ventilation. This project also involved significant infrastructure improvements including the MBTA Tunnel to the subway and expanded sidewalks.

Building Sustainability

The office tower achieved LEED CS v2009 Platinum, and the hotel tower achieved LEED CS v2009 Gold. The Hub50House (residential tower) achieved LEED NC v2009 Gold, and the Podium (ground floor) reached LEED CS v2009 Gold certification. The office and residential towers each achieved a 63% reduction in water use for irrigation, and a 42% and 37% reduction in water use for fixtures, and their energy use savings are 23.56% and 18.9%. In addition, green power is purchased to offset 35% of the anticipated annual electricity use for 2 years. The power for this development is expected to be 100% green by 2025. Efficient building systems resulted in an energy cost savings of 24%. 75% of the construction waste was diverted from landfills, and low-emitting materials were specified. Photography: © Bret Oswald, and © Anton Grassl

Services performed