South Station Tower is all about connections.
There are obvious ones — bus, subway and commuter rail. However, the design took a landmark headhouse, a regional transportation terminal that turned 127 years old in January, and transformed it into a property where people can gather, whether in offices, residences, dining spaces, or take an easy walk to popular downtown destinations.
South Station Tower is a 51-story, mixed-use building that stands sentry over South Station in a project that marries the sleek, faceted-glass construction of a contemporary commercial structure with the hard-edged neoclassical design of the headhouse, a pink granite and tan brick building on the National Register of Historic Places.
The addition, with its 10 sweeping arches that stretch to domes 60 feet above, honors the property's history, extending the elegance found in the main terminal to travelers waiting for the commuter rail or making their way toward the bus terminal.
The project is impactful because it succeeds on multiple levels at once. It delivers high-quality office space that has attracted leading employers, strengthens and modernizes a critical transportation hub and introduces new public spaces, dining and pedestrian connections that enhance the downtown experience. The bus station alone saw a 50% bump-up in capacity, thanks to the project.
This alignment of private investment with public benefit is why this project earned a CoStar Impact Award as judged by local real estate professionals who know the market.
About the project: The tower has 685,000 square feet of office space, a nearly one-acre private park on the 11th level and 16 floors of luxury condos that the Ritz-Carlton services. A tour of one of those residences during the construction phase in 2025 revealed a coveted feature: The second-floor entry to the two-level penthouse opens to a floor-to-ceiling expanse of windows with panoramic views of the city and Boston Harbor.
Prices for the homes range from $1.3 million to $14 million, according to a spokesman for the project. Leading companies, including Jones Day, Citadel and FM, have signed leases for office space. JPMorganChase announced on March 17 that it will relocate to eight floors in the tower in 2028.
In November, Episcope Hospitality, the group known for innovative dining concepts led by David Morton of Morton's Steakhouse Family, that it would install three signature food and beverage destinations in the tower: The Moseley, Proper Fare and a bar and lounge.
What the judges said: "Incredibly complicated development which will have a profound impact on the landscape of Boston for decades," said Garry Holmes, president of R.W. Holmes Realty.
"Alongside new public spaces, improved walkability and strengthened links between downtown, the Greenway and Fort Point, the tower establishes a new benchmark for transit‑oriented development in Boston. This alignment of private investment with substantial public benefit makes South Station Tower the most impactful and innovative commercial development of the year," said Stephanie Donlin, senior director of real estate, Greystar Real Estate Partners.
"This project came to fruition an astounding 27 years after Hines came on board — indicating the dedication, vision and foresight that the team at Hines had to execute on this massive undertaking. Also — hardly a secondary item — the tremendous private investment the development team undertook into modernizing, updating and beautifying the South Station Bus Terminal cannot be overlooked. The painstaking efforts to retain the historic charm of the busiest transit center in the Commonwealth, combined with the much-needed improvements have dramatically improved the space for residents and visitors alike," said Mark Fallon, director of research and strategy at Hunneman.
They made it happen: The project was led by Jeffrey Hines, chairman and co-chief executive officer of Hines, which served as owner. Sarah Hawkins, senior managing director and head of U.S. East, along with Senior Managing Director Thomas Craig represented Hines as developer, owner and property manager. Additional leadership and oversight came from managing directors Joe Norris, Matt Murray and Bevin Littlehale, with Chris Linville, general property manager, overseeing day-to-day operations on behalf of Hines.