Boston's Filene's Site Finally Getting Developed

An ugly scar that has marred Boston's downtown shopping district for years is finally being developed.

Boston regulators have approved construction of a 625-foot residential tower, and the restoration of the original Filene's building into offices and stores. The $620 million project also includes the renovation of a neighboring park that will add a new MBTA station entrance and an outdoor amphitheater.

The Boston Globe reports that developer Millennium Partners is planning to move forward with construction by the middle of next year.

The tower is taller and more slender than a proposed earlier version.

The initial effort to remake the Filene's property stalled in 2008, as the recession dried up funding. The developers stopped the project mid-construction, leaving a crater in the middle of the shopping district.