Millennium Tower 2.0 Approved Despite Shadow Law, Now Faces State
A 775-foot mixed-use proposal cleared its initial shadow hurdle in Boston Wednesday and will now face the Massachusetts state legislature.
The Boston City Council voted 10-3 to approve a home rule petition allowing Millennium Partners to build a skyscraper in Winthrop Square and skirt a 1990 law restricting new shadows on Boston Common and the Public Garden, the Boston Globe reports. Councilors Josh Zakim, Tito Jackson and Michelle Wu voted against the measure, which will prevent future developments from casting shadow on the two parks as well as Copley Square.
“Today’s Home Rule Petition vote marks an important step forward and is a remarkable win on multiple fronts,” Millennium Partners principal Joe Larkin said in a statement.
State lawmakers now must approve changes to a Massachusetts shadow law before ground can break at the downtown site, but City Hall hopes the majority vote helps its cause. Boston Planning and Development Agency director Brian Golden said Mayor Martin Walsh and his administration were already working with state legislators with the hope of crafting a bill and passing it before the summer.
“Looking ahead, we are hopeful that the state legislature will join the city councilors in supporting this vastly beneficial and transformative project,” Larkin said.
