Boston’s Old South Church is the latest aggrieved party in a simmering battle for sunshine amid a downtown building boom.
The 142-year-old church is two blocks away from a planned tower at Back Bay Station, a subway and commuter rail stop. Representatives for the church are concerned that shadows from the planned 365-foot tall structure would cause moisture damage to masonry and darken stained-glass windows.
Old South Church has asked the developer for $19 million in mitigation funds, with $4 million going toward repairs to the church. The remaining $15 million would go to a citywide fund for affordable home-ownership programs.
Boston Properties, the developer, says the fee is exorbitant, and that impact studies don’t support the church’s fears, though a preservation architect quoted by the Boston Globe says the concerns are warranted. The company plans $72 million in upgrades to the train station and surrounding area as part of a $1 billion project consisting of three office and apartment towers and a garage over the Massachusetts Turnpike.
The Boston Planning & Development Agency hasn’t made a decision on the church’s request, and has delayed a vote on the project while church officials and the developer continue discussions. In a related matter, the state passed a law earlier this year that allows more shade from buildings on Boston Common, a move that would allow construction of a proposed 700-foot tall tower above an old parking garage.
Related Stories
| Feb 26, 2013
Proposed ASHRAE standard revisions would boost requirement for automatic lighting
Proposed changes to the ASHRAE/IES energy standard would require automatic lighting controls in more space types and shorten the times before lighting is automatically reduced or shut off.
| Feb 20, 2013
Bill would make all California state building codes free and open source
California Assembly Bill 292 would make the California Code of Regulations (including the Building Codes) open source.
| Feb 20, 2013
Pittsburgh’s Phipps Conservatory aims for three top green certifications
The $15 million Center for Sustainable Landscapes at Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens in Pittsburgh, a net-zero facility, is applying for certification from three of the world's most stringent green rating systems—the Living Building Challenge, LEED Platinum, and the Sustainable Sites Initiative.
| Feb 20, 2013
ANSI/CRRC Cool Roof Standard has been approved
The Cool Roof Rating Council says the American National Standards Institute has given final approval of its ANSI/CRRC-1-2012 Standard after a two-year public review process.
| Feb 20, 2013
Group of West Coast civil engineers developing building standards for tsunamis
A group of civil engineers from around the western U.S. is developing additions to the building code to address the threat of a tsunami.
| Feb 20, 2013
Higher standards, efficiency programs keys to 40% energy usage reduction in commercial buildings since 1980
Commercial buildings have seen a drop in their energy intensity of more than 40% since 1980, according to a recent report from Bloomberg New Energy Finance and the Business Council for Sustainable Energy.
| Feb 12, 2013
Higher education institutions providing leadership on sustainability
More than 665 U.S. colleges and universities have publicly committed to pursue net-zero carbon emissions.
| Feb 12, 2013
ASHRAE publishes protocols for performance measurement
ASHRAE has published “Performance Measurement Procedures for Commercial Buildings: Best Practices Guide,” a how-to guide for continuously evaluating and improving the performance of commercial buildings throughout their service life.
| Feb 12, 2013
California resolves ADA inconsistencies with 2013 building code
The recently adopted 2013 California Building Code (CBC) revisions bring the state code in line with the federal Americans With Disabilities Act 2010.
| Feb 12, 2013
Bullitt Foundation says Living Building Challenge can only be met after code change
The 50,000 sf Bullitt Center in Seattle is being constructed to be the greenest, most energy-efficient commercial building in the world, and meet the ambitious goals of the Living Building Challenge.
