Real Estate

A new, more expansive plan is on the table for Boston’s brutalist Hurley building

The new plan for the downtown Boston "superblock" focuses on housing, mental health services, historic preservation, and commercial vitality.

The Charles F. Hurley Building in downtown Boston. Lane Turner/Boston Globe Staff, File

By Abby Patkin

Gov. Maura Healey is renewing plans to redevelop a hulking brutalist government complex in downtown Boston and turn it into a residential mixed-use development. 

Before you ask, Boston City Hall is safe — Healey’s redevelopment plans are focused on the state-owned Charles F. Hurley and Erich Lindemann buildings, which make up a “superblock” where Beacon Hill meets the West End. 

Earlier this week, state officials announced their intention to put the project back out to bid, effectively scrapping a previous plan launched under former Gov. Charlie Baker to redevelop the Hurley building with a focus on life sciences. Back in 2022, the Baker administration tapped Boston-based Leggat McCall Properties to oversee a $1 billion-plus makeover that would have included a lab tower, state government offices, ground-floor retail space, and 200 housing units, The Boston Globe reported at the time. 

Previously:

But the demand for lab space has shrunk considerably over the last few years, while housing demand continues to rapidly outpace local supply.  

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This time around, state officials are focused on Massachusetts’ “urgent need for housing” while also juggling historic preservation and commercial vitality, Healey’s administration said in a press release. The Lindemann building currently houses a state-run mental health facility, and Healey’s plan includes “upgraded, modern space” for the residential mental health services, according to the release.

“This proposal underscores the Administration’s commitment to creating new housing opportunities every way we can,” Secretary of Housing and Livable Communities Ed Augustus said in a statement, adding, “This project will create a vibrant livable community and provide housing and services to those who need it most.”

According to the Globe, state officials hope to see at least one more building at the site — likely a residential tower — but do not have an estimate for how many housing units the property could accommodate. 

The Charles F. Hurley and Erich Lindemann buildings make up a “superblock” in downtown Boston that state officials are hoping to redevelop. – Lane Turner/Boston Globe Staff, File

The state is also looking to preserve the parcel’s architectural heritage. Famed modernist architect Paul Rudolph designed the Lindemann building and planned the Hurley-Lindemann site as a “Government Service Center.” 

“The site remains architecturally significant due to its unique mid-century design, and the Administration will prioritize historic preservation in the renewed redevelopment process,” Healey’s team noted in its press release. 

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State officials plan to engage local and regional stakeholders to further refine the vision for the Hurley-Lindemann redevelopment prior to issuing a request for proposals, according to the release. 

“This is a bold decision that represents a significant investment in the downtown real estate market at a critical time,” Jay Ash, CEO of the Massachusetts Competitive Partnership, said in a statement about the renewed redevelopment plans.

He added: “The Healey-Driscoll Administration is making a real commitment to energizing Boston with this approach, which should please both commercial real estate interests and those calling for more housing investment.”