Preservation's final plea

Preservation's final plea
Deadline today to comment on Arlington Building to be demolished
Kristin Pitts BostonNOW Correspondent

It's out with the old and in with the ... office building - maybe.

Today is the last day for the public to weigh in with the Boston Redevelopment Authority on plans to demolish the Arlington Building, a 103-year-old art deco structure at the corner of Arlington and Boylston streets. It is the former home of famed jeweler Shreve, Crump & Low.

Developer Ronald Druker plans to knock down the Arlington Building and two neighboring structures, to build a nine-story luxury office building, complete with restaurant, spa and fitness club. But not everyone welcomes Druker's vision. Some worry the city is trading in a piece of history for a posh skyscraper.

"It's important to us that what goes up complements what's around it," said Sarah Kelly, Executive Director of the Boston Preservation Alliance, which had petitioned the Boston Landmarks Commission to designate the Arlington Building a historic landmark. The commission disagreed, saying the building doesn't meet landmark standards.

Now, Kelly and other activists hope the new structure will fit the feel of the Back Bay neighborhood.

"We would love to keep (the Arlington Building)," Jackie Yessian of the Neighborhood Association of Back Bay, said "But [Druker] has followed all the steps, so he's doing what he's allowed to do."

"We look forward to working with the community and reviewing all the public comments as we move forward with the development review process," said Boston Redevelopment Authority spokeswoman Jessica Shumaker.

Calls to the Druker Company were not returned, yesterday.

To comment on plans for the Arlington Building site, contact BRA Project Manager Jay Rourke by 5 p.m. Friday at: jay.rourke.bra@cityofboston.gov

Correction: The first version of this story listed the incorrect e-mail address for Jay Rourke.
Published on January 31, 2008