With all the buzz about the Modern South End auction (see Modern South End Auction), the thought of a second phase of loft-style condos adjacent to the current development site has been tabled as a topic of popular conversation. The official situation is that no record of a potential second phase currently exists in the Boston Redevelopment Authority’s records.

The unofficial word is that there are still rumors that the second phase will eventually happen, which would be a great addition to the neighborhood. One of the underlying goals of building a development like the Modern South End at the far western border of the South End (some may, and do, even say Roxbury), was to take a bold step forward in enriching the architectural landscape and residential options in a part of the city that has not seen a tremendous amount of such development happen. Will the trend continue? We think the answer is yes. At its core, this is a function of supply and demand, and space limitations that are the standard in major metropolitan areas. Simply put, there is little to no undeveloped land remaining in the core of the city, demand to live in downtown Boston (or any major city for that matter) remains high, and thus, we’ll continue to see further development and gentrification of the area surrounding the Modern South End building.

Are there immediate plans to move forward with a second phase of the Modern South End? The blank slate is there and available based on the below exclusive photos of the cleared land to the immediate north of the current Modern building. Time will tell.

Note: The Modern South End Auction has been canceled. Click on ‘The Modern South End’ tag above to see the most recent updates.

Ten units at the Modern South End will go to auction on Sunday, May 18, 2008 at 1PM in the Colonnade Hotel (125 Huntington Avenue). To tour the units before the auction, you can visit the building’s auction information center, located onsite at 255 Northampton Street from Noon to 7PM daily. The units being auctioned are referenced below:

Note that minimum bids have been set for units. Bidders should arrive for check-in at Noon on auction date. The Auction will begin promptly at 1:00 PM and will last approximately 1.5 hours. For Buyer Agency representation throughout the purchase, contact us.

Registration is required to attend the auction and to become eligible to bid. Complete and return the Auction Registration Form prior to auction day - Contact 617.236.0350 for details.

If you are planning to purchase more than one residence, your completed Auction Registration Form must be received no later than May 12, 2008. Registrants will be notified of the number of homes they have been approved to purchase.

On auction day, all approved registered bidders must present a separate Cashier’s Check, Traveler’s Check, Certified Check or Money Order (“Cash Equivalent”) in the amount of $5,000 for each residence that they have been approved to purchase. Each bidder is also required to bring a blank personal check. The blank check will then be added to the $5,000 to equal 5% of the winning bid price. Cash Equivalent(s) should be made payable to yourself.

Those who register on auction day will be required to complete the Auction Registration Form and present a $5,000 Cash Equivalent as well as a blank personal check. Auction day registrants will be limited to the purchase of one residence only.

One of the most sought after buildings in the northern part of the South End is the Albert A. Pope Building, a 25-unit boutique luxury development with the high-end Mistral Bistro on its ground floor - some refer to this development as the Mistral Condos.

Albert A. Pope Building

As of this week, there are now two units available in the building, including one corner unit with multiple exposures. Unit 603 is a 1,508 square foot two-bedroom two-bathroom listed at $1,049,000 ($695 per square foot), while the multiple exposure unit 404, is a 1,873 square foot two-bedroom two-bathroom listed at $1,350,000 ($720 per square foot). Both units include one deeded garage parking space.

Readers recently inquired whether the Clarendon Back Bay would eventually block the view of the Hancock Tower from the Pope building, and by the looks of the below picture of the Clarendon job site taking from the Pope Building, the answer to that question is, yes - eye level views will be blocked, but you will obviously still see the Hancock Tower in the background above the 33 story Clarendon.

Perhaps you have noticed it as well, Tremont Street in the South End has become a hotbed of high end condo renovations. From Berkeley Street down to Massachusetts Avenue, renovations abound from individual brownstones, to entire city blocks, raising the bar on expectations when stepping into a rowhouse along tree lined Tremont Street.

Over the past several months, the hard work of developers is coming to fruition at properties like 602 Tremont, 607 Tremont, and 676 Tremont - all high end renovations that are now in various stages of the sales cycle.

602 Tremont Street, a newly renovated four unit brownstone near the southeast corner of Tremont and Dartmouth Streets is a Patrick Ahearn and Connaughton Construction project that sold out quite quickly once it hit the market in late 2007. This development is unique in that it has a large 4 car garage that is split among the units. In addition to housing cars, the garage also serves as the base for a huge deck for the recently sold duplex ground floor unit ($1.34 million). High end all around with this development, nice enough that the developer kept a unit for themselves, a telling sign.

607 Tremont Street is a four unit renovation that sits above the wine emporium on the northeast corner of Tremont and Dartmouth Streets. All three units that are available are two-bedroom one-bathroom, and run from 807 to 898 square feet, and are listed at $615,000 to $629,000. Units offer spacious living rooms with gas fireplaces, and well done (pun intended) chef’s kitchens. Brazilian oak floors, designer marble baths, and fully built-out closets. Units do not include parking, but do include washer and dryer, something that some developers tend to leave out these days.

676 Tremont Street is the first of an entire block renovation of the southern side of Tremont Street between West Newton and Rutland Streets. 676 Tremont is a five unit renovation, and the anchor to much more to come on this block - 676 has only one unit remaining, while the others are Under Agreement or have already sold.

We’re working with multiple Buyers who are interested in such properties, those that are truly move in ready, and situated on Tremont Street, in the northern part of the South End, still in the heart of the neighborhood feel that the South End provides, but quite close to the “city” life offered by other Boston neighborhoods. For more information on these developments, or to tour a unit, please contact us today.

The Atelier 505 building on Tremont Street in an exquisite location in the South End remains one of the premier properties in that neighborhood. Turnover is relatively low in the luxury development, however, a recent listing with private outdoor space recently became available: Unit 417, a 1,364 square foot 1 bedroom 1.5 bathroom unit with a 230+ square foot patio and one deeded garage parking space - list price is $1,249,000.

The Atelier location puts you only a short walk from both the restaurants and neighborhood feel of the South End, and the bustling city center. For more information about Atelier, or the South End, please contact us.

For a list of all available deeded parking spaces in downtown Boston for sale, please see our Boston Parking Spaces page.

A $62,500 South End listing hit the Boston MLS this morning. Unfortunately for those out there searching for a bargain South End piece of property, it’s a garage parking space at Wilkes Passage, rather than a condo itself. According tot he listing agent, it’s the best single parking space available, is a large end space, which is easy to navigate, and is next to a pole for added security against wayward doors.

At this time, there is also a tandem parking slot (with a capacity of 2 cars) for sale at Wilkes Passage for $82,500.

The Boston Globe recently reported that the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority board has secured a $270 million guarantee from the developers of the Columbus Center project that they will see the expensive four-block deck over the highway to completion.

The guarantee clears another hurdle for the project, which has been 11 years in planning and development, encountered monumental opposition, and finally went into construction only late last year.

Columbus Center is a significant mixed-use six-building development that will be built on top of a deck that stretches over open traffic lanes on the Massachusetts Turnpike from Clarendon to Tremont Streets in Boston’s South End.

An interesting point that the article in the Globe mentions is that the deck will be owned by the Turnpike. The Turnpike Authority amended its air-rights lease with the developers, Winn Development and MacFarlane Urban Realty Co., to clarify the ownership and purpose of the deck on which the mixed-use project is being built on the edge of the Back Bay.

That clarification - stating the deck will be owned by the Turnpike, leased to the developers, and created in part to benefit the public - was necessary for the developers to use $10 million in jobs-creation grants from the state.

Crews have been onsite in the South End for some time now, working nearby other developments, including 285 Columbus Lofts and the Clarendon Back Bay.

We received a request to provide an update on the Penmark South End condo development in Boston’s South End. Located on Father Gilday Street, parallel and south of Washington Street, the Penmark is a 60-unit well appointed development that has been laboring to close out the final developer units from the 2005 redevelopment of the building. We blogged about what were the 11 units for sale back in mid November (see Penmark South End Condo Prices), and now there are 7 remaining units on the Boston MLS.

Various floor plans are still available in the $566 to $740 per square foot (+/-) range. Available units are listed from $565,000 to $1,055,000, and do include garage parking.

For more details on available units: Penmark South End Condo Listings (2.7 MB PDF)

Built in 2005, this Gateway Terrace Loft style three-bedroom two-bathroom duplex offers 2,789 square feet, as well as multiple outdoor private spaces. The kitchen boasts the de facto standards for luxury, and the master bedroom includes an en suite bath with television, steam shower, and rain showerhead (as well as ample closet space). Currently listed at $2,695,000 ($966.30 per square foot), including four (4) garage parking spaces and a private storage room.

Gateway Terrace is located at 1166 Washington Street in the South End, at the corner of Washington Street and Berkeley Street. The $1,115 HOA fee on this Boston Loft includes Heat, Hot Water, Gas, Water, Sewer, Master Insurance, Elevator, Exterior Maintenance, Landscaping, Snow Removal, Refuse Removal.

For more information on listing your condo for sale with us, use the contact us link at the top of this page.

It was back on January 8th that we did a feature on Columbus Center (see Will Columbus Center Ever Be Built). At that time, the development team behind Columbus Center were under pressure to secure funding before a January 15, 2008 deadline to secure the necessary funding for the project to continue (after lenders backed away from the deal). January 15th came around, and the decision was postponed, until February 15th.

Recently the South End News (see Turnpike Authority waives Columbus Center deadline for funding) reported that the deadline has now been waived and the development team behind Columbus Center is free to move forward. A lender is not yet in place to pump the needed $500 million into the project, but those involved feel as though everyone is working in good faith, and they’re comfortable moving forward on that notion.

Some people are fans of the Columbus Center condo-hotel development, others are staunch pessimists. Regardless, if and when the development is finally complete, the area will look much better than it currently does, neighbors, however, are more than likely in for a noisy few years if and when construction gets going for real.