New images of the tower that will replace the ‘massive unsightly’ Government Center garage

It’s a 45-story residential tower that’s part of a much larger proposed development.

The current Government Center garage. David L Ryan, Globe Staff

November 17, 2015

2 minutes to read

A sleek new apartment tower would take shape where one of Boston’s ugliest buildings now stands under plans filed at City Hall by one of the Hub’s top developers.

Tom O’Brien’s HYM Investment Group is moving ahead with plans for a new residential, office, hotel and retail complex where the hulking Government Center garage now stands.

O’Brien is involved with some of the biggest developments in the Boston area, having made the jump to private developer a decade and a half ago after serving as head of the Boston Redevelopment Authority.

The residential tower will include everything from studios to three-bedroom units. – Pelli Clarke Pelli/CBT Architects

A 45-story apartment tower, sporting a sleeker design crafted after months of vetting by city officials and neighborhood residents, will help kick off the first phase of O’Brien and HYM’s massive project.

Also slated for the first phase is a 43-story office tower that will have 1- million-square-feet of corporate space for rent.

The two towers are part of a larger, 2.4-million-square-foot development first proposed for the Government Center garage site in 2011 and with construction now expected to kick off next year.

“By beginning to replace a massive unsightly barrier, the proposed project will substantially contribute to improving the vitality, and the urban design and architectural character of the Government Center and Bulfinch Triangle areas,’’ writes O’Brien, managing partner of HYM, in a letter to city planning officials.

The new apartment tower will feature a mix of studios and one-, two- and three-bedroom units. Some apartments will also include either a home office or a den as well.

Rental rates have yet to be determined and are likely to match luxury prices currently seen downtown.

The tower will also offer a lineup of amenities. A swimming pool, sun deck, yoga studio and gym are planned for the 9th floor, while the 31st floor “will offer leisure spaces for residents with a multi-purpose room, library, and roof deck.’’

Wide glass panes in common living areas of the apartments will offer relatively unobstructed views of the city’s skyline and other attractions, while smaller windows will be used for bedrooms and other private space.

The tower was redesigned after input from the city and community groups. – Pelli Clarke Pelli/CBT Architects

There will also be retail on the ground floor as well.

O’Brien and his development team also detailed, in documents filed with City Hall, various changes made to the design of the new apartment tower.

The towers “penthouse and screens will be integrated into the façade to discreetly cover its mechanical systems from the view of any passersby on the street,’’ O’Brien’s team notes in documents submitted to the city.

The tower now “pulls back from the sidewalk, instead of “hanging over it,’’ creating, among other things, the opportunity for a sidewalk café on New Chardon Street.

The tower will also feature an unusual façade, mixing “glass and metal panels in varying shades of gray.’’

The mix of different materials will “enhance the depth of the building’s massing, making some components appear to recede while others appear to project from the overall façade,’’ the development team writes.