New England Aquarium Pushes Back On Boston Harbor Garage Skyscraper

New England Aquarium officials have expressed opposition to a proposed 600-foot skyscraper that would be built in place of the Boston Harbor Garage.

A crowd gathered Thursday at the first public meeting to discuss concerns for Don Chiofaro's proposed $1.2 billion 42-story skyscraper, the Boston Herald reported.

The proposed tower, called "The Pinnacle," would have two floors for retail and dining, 22 floors of office space, and 200 apartments on the top 18 floors, according to plans filed with the Boston Planning & Development Agency.

"The New England Aquarium stands in staunch opposition to this proposed development," said Vikki Spruill, the president and CEO of the New England Aquarium. "Climate change is at the heart of our concerns about this development. This is about the future of our downtown waterfront."

The aquarium is located on Central Wharf behind the garage.

Chiofaro's company contested concerns raised at the meeting and said that they aim to increase the area's resistance to rising seas using methods like raising the land by four feet.

"We view this as a catalyst to jump-start change up and down the waterfront," said Rob Caridad, an employee of Chiofaro. "This is consistent with the Climate Ready Boston planning to date."