Conservancy Building, Tremont Street Project Pass Muster with Redevelopment Authority

After half a century with few outward changes, the New England Conservatory of Music has plans to redesign its Huntington Avenue campus in the style—according to one Boston Redevelopment Authority board member—of an Apple Store.

“This is certainly going to be an eye-catcher,” said board member James Coyle.

Representatives of the conservancy showed plans at the BRA board of directors’ meeting Thursday that depicted a brightly-lit, glass-walled structure.

The group said that the project will be the school’s first new building within the city since 1959 and its first master plan ever.

The plan calls for the demolition of some dormitory space as well as the addition of newer dorms, a new library and additional practice spaces.

The board granted preliminary adequacy to the $100 million dollar project. The conservancy will next have to present the Student Life Center to Zoning Commission.

Other notables from the meeting:

• Tremont Street Development, LLC earned tentative designation as the redeveloper of a mixed-use building between 1004 and 1012 Tremont Street in the South End. The building would include seven rental units, six parking spaces and 2,000 square feet of ground-floor retail space.
• The One Channel Center project planned for South Boston earned two additional approvals from the BRA. A representative of the project said she expected construction to begin in August and last for three years. Construction on an attached park will wrap up shortly after. A member of the Service Employees International Union expressed concern that State Street had not defined its plan for maintaining the structure once completed. A resident also objected to the city tax break given to State Street for the project in light of recent issues involving State Street and the city’s retirement fund.
• The board approved a contract not to exceed $250,000 with Charlestown-based Boston Interactive to revamp the authority’s web site. The current site, according to a BRA employee on the project, is ten years old. Revamping it is expected to take nine months to a year.
• The board granted approval to the city to create a temporary corporation for the purpose of funding the 200,000 square foot mixed-use Dudley Municipal Office Facility proposed for Dudley Square.