Mayor Thomas Menino's

Mark Maloney, director of the Boston Redevelopment Authority, tells GlobeSt.com his office has fielded calls from as far away as Europe and Asia inquiring about the project, which would be Boston's tallest building. He says most callers have been inquiring about procedures for submitting proposals to the city. Officials plan to issue a request for proposals next month. In keeping with policy, the RFP also will ask developers to submit a bid to acquire the one-acre tract.

In a speech last week before the Boston Municipal Research Bureau, the mayor said he wants to see a 70- to 80-story tower built on land that now houses a city-owned parking garage at Winthrop Square in Boston's Financial District. The 1,000-foot building would tower over the city's tallest existing structure, the 62-story, 790-foot John Hancock Tower in the Back Bay.

Maloney says he expects at least 20 "serious developers" to submit proposals for the mixed-use project, which is anticipated to include more than one million sf of residential and office space. "We really want to activate Downtown Boston with residents in the off-peak hours and this is an opportunity to sell a piece of property in Downtown Boston to do that," he says.