Seaport Square

Boston, MA
Key Elements
  • 23-acre LEED ND development
  • Master infrastructure planning  
  • Boston permitting 

Seaport Square, a 23-acre LEED ND project in the heart of Boston’s Innovation District, is one of the largest sustainable neighborhoods in the US. The development program for this project includes 8.4-million square feet of residential, retail, cultural and educational, hotel, open space, research and office space, and 2.3-million square feet of parking. Nitsch supported the design and construction of the infrastructure for the development, as well as for the majority of the individual parcels as they are developed. 

Nitsch’s survey team prepared an Existing Conditions Survey for all of the Seaport Square Parcels. The survey included topography of the parcels as well as abutting streets, with an emphasis on compiling utilities throughout the area and identifying the location of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) Silverline Tunnel. We performed a property line survey to provide ALTA/NSPS Land Title Surveys at a future date, and prepared plans to be presented to the Boston Planning and Development Agency for Site Plan Approval. 

As the civil engineers for the overall master infrastructure planning, Nitsch designed new public and private streets, and performed a hydraulic analysis of the drainage system for the area to facilitate its design. We assisted, and continue to do so as parcels are developed, in the permitting process for the Public Improvement Commission, Boston Water and Sewer Commission, Chapter 91, Boston Conservation Commission, and Department of Environmental Protection for the overall 23 acres, as well as for most of the individual parcel developments. 

We also designed new utilities, site and roadway layout, and stormwater management; performed groundwater recharge design; prepared construction specifications; performed construction administration services; and attended public hearings/meetings and presentations. 

Key Collaborators

Owner: WS Development 
Architects: Elkus Manfredi, CBT, Stantec, Gensler, and Jacobs 
Landscape Architects: James Corner Field Operations, Reed Hilderbrand 
Geotechnical Engineer: Haley & Aldrich