Boston Store Wins Approval

After some initial misgivings, the Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA) has voted to approve Apple’s proposed plans for a retail store at 815 Boylston Street in the city’s busy Back Bay district. The three-story, glass-front store will occupy 21,350 square-feet across from the existing Prudential Center, and the future Mandarin Oriental Hotel. According to the BRA, the final design, “will exhibit architectural elements that reference the general character and scale of the surrounding building fabric.” The store will have a garden roof and Apple told the agency it will make improvements to the sidewalk during construction of the store. Demolition on the existing two-story building could begin in early 2007 after a zoning hearing, and construction will take one year.