One Dalton

Boston, MA
Key Elements
  • Complex groundwater recharge systems 
  • Site utility, layout, and grading 
  • City of Boston permitting 

A new mixed-use development at the intersection of Dalton and Belvidere Streets, adjacent to the Christian Science Plaza, creates a new addition to the Boston skyline. The project includes a new 61-story high-rise tower that houses a Four Seasons Hotel and Private Residences at One Dalton Street, as well as a new urban park. Altogether, the project includes 215 hotel rooms, 161 residences, and ground-floor retail. 

Nitsch provided civil engineering and site permitting services. We designed the site utilities (water, sewer, and drainage) and provided the curb and site layout design. We worked closely with the landscape architect to create the site layout and grading plans.  

Because the project falls within the Groundwater Conservation Overlay District, where groundwater has been receding from historical levels, the project needed to infiltrate the first inch of stormwater into the ground.  Nitsch worked closely with the plumbing engineer and geotechnical engineer to design complex groundwater recharge systems for both the park and the One Dalton tower. The tower recharge system posed an additional challenge since the building takes up the entire site – with no area outside the building to fit a traditional recharge system. The solution involved capturing stormwater from the roof and taking advantage of a unique property line to direct it to a storage tank sited partially under Dalton Street. Stormwater recharge is accomplished by slowly pumping water from this tank to four infiltration wells that are located in the sidewalk in front of the building on Dalton Street. 

We provided permitting assistance for the Boston Planning and Development Agency process, including preparing the utility section of the Project Notification Form, Environmental Notification Form, Draft Project Impact Report, and Draft Environmental Impact Report for Article 80 Large Project Review. We provided lead permitting coordination for the Public Improvement Commission, Boston Water and Sewer Commission, Department of Environmental Protection, and National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permits. 

Key Collaborators

Owner/Developer: Carpenter & Company 
Architects: Pei Cobb Freed & Partners, CambridgeSeven 
Landscape Architect: Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates 
Geotechnical Engineer: Haley & Aldrich 
MEP Engineer: WSP USA 
General Contractor: Suffolk Construction