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BOSTON-Massachusetts' Chapter 91 license has been granted to Chicago-based Equity Office Properties by the state Department of Environmental Protection for its redevelopment of Russia Wharf. This is the final hurdle for the long-planned project on land that contains three historic buildings at Front Point Channel.

EOP first submitted a redevelopment proposal for the site in 2002. Given the final go-ahead, the developer issued a statement calling this "a great day for the project, for the city and for the residents of Boston." An Equity Office spokesperson tells GlobeSt.com, "there have been some changes to the original plan." It called for a hotel. In July 2005, GlobeSt.com reported that the originally planned 300-room hotel had been scrapped in favor of a "boutique" hotel. There is no hotel in the final plan.

Under the current plan, EOP will restore the Russia building at 530 Atlantic Ave. and "is restoring significant historical elements of the other two buildings, Graphic Arts and Tufts," which are at 270 and 286 Congress, respectively, the spokeswoman says. These three will be converted into 200 housing units and 31,000 sf of retail, civic and restaurant space. Above them, Equity will build a new 31-story office building with an aggregate of 500,000 sf. There will also be outdoor public areas, including one-third acre of open space.