Columbus Avenue, slicing the Back Bay and the South End, is home to multiple condo developments, both new and old.  285 Columbus Lofts recently completed construction and is approximately 90% sold.  While just a stone’s throw from that site at the corner of Clarendon and Columbus is the Bryant.

We’ve been tracking the Bryant since before it broke ground, and provide the only exclusive time-series photo set of the development through construction (see Bryant on Columbus).  Recently, the Bryant began revealing its face to the outside world.  Moving away the construction tarps, Bostonians are getting their first look at the facade of the Bryant on Columbus, and it appears as though it will do a good job of blending a clean, and perhaps stately, polished looking finish with the older neighboring buildings.

While nearby residents to the Bryant have not enjoyed the constant construction noise, they will be happy to know that their property values will go up as a result of having a boutique luxury building nearby, beautifying the area along Columbus, and injecting more demand into local businesses.

The Bryant on Columbus currently lists 11 units, only part of their existing inventory, available in the MLS, providing a good feel for what is available in the building – mainly three-bedroom units, as well as an unprecedented four-bedroom unit, all ranging in size and price from approximately 1,900 to 2,800 square feet and $1,550,000 to $2,950,000 (penthouse).  The Bryant will be a unique addition to the area, for more information and/or to setup a tour of the sales center, please contact us.

If you’ve been along the border of the Back Bay and the South End over the past several months, you have more than likely seen the significant progress that has been made on the buildout of the Bryant on Columbus, a 50-unit luxury boutique condo development, that by the looks of it, will finish late this year if it continues at the same pace it’s on now. For a time series photo set, visit our Bryant on Columbus page.

The latest up close construction shot of the development is below. As well, we have an exclusive photo of the Bryant’s construction progress taken from the rooftop of the D4 condos several blocks away (you can see the crane rising above the completed floors at the Bryant, just in front of the 131 Dartmouth building – D4 opened to residents last year, and they are down to only 3 available units in the 25-unit boutique Philippe Starck condo redevelopment of the 1932 D4 Police Station.

If you have walked by the Bryant on Columbus lately, the progress is rather staggering. It seems like each week a new floor is added to the development, and this past week was no different with the development finally climbing over top of its adjacent neighbors along Columbus Avenue in between Dartmouth and Clarendon Streets.

The Bryant will offer unique four-bedroom ultra luxury living accommodations along the border of the Back Bay and the South End. Self park garage (thank you, it’s nice to see this in the luxury market to help keep HOA fees lower) and direct elevator access will make this a convenient and elegant place to call home in the heart of the city.

Exclusive to us here at the Boston Condo Blog is a time series set of Bryant construction photos on our Bryant on Columbus Featured Development page.

The Bryant on Columbus, locate don the north side of Columbus Avenue between Dartmouth and Clarendon, continues to scream through construction of floors. They’re now on floor 6, and appear to be adding a new level each week. We’ve updated the exclusive time series photos of development at our Bryant on Columbus featured development page.

Despite the expeditious pace at which floors are being added, it’s unclear at this point whether the currently anticipated August 2008 opening will be met. Regardless, the Bryant on Columbus will be an excellent addition to the neighborhood, with some of the only three-bedroom floor-through elevator served units in the area. Below are some additional shots from the construction site.

We have new exclusive photos of the Bryant on Columbus condo development along the northern side of Columbus Avenue on our new featured development page for the Bryant. We’ll be keeping a chronicle of the time series photos showing the construction of this luxury boutique development as it steams towards its currently anticipated completion date of August 2008. Visit the Bryant on Columbus page here on the Boston Condo Blog to see the new photos!

It was just over 20 days ago that we reported that the Bryant was beginning to pop out of the ground and show some upward life to it, and the pace appears to be quickening as demonstrated by these exclusive photos.

What did this site look like several years ago? A parking lot.

The above time-series photos show significant progress at the Bryant over the past month, with multiple floors now rising out of the ground over the north side of Columbus Avenue between Dartmouth and Clarendon Streets. A quick look at the moving cranes and construction noises at the Bryant on Columbus in the following video:

At the beginning of December, we were the first to bring you the news of the Bryant on Columbus coming up out of the ground, above its multi-level underground garage (see Lift Off at Bryant on Columbus). Work continues to progress quickly at the Bryant as evidenced by the exclusive photos below – the photo immediately below on the left is the current construction site, while the developer’s mockup on the right shows what the Bryant will look like upon completion later this year.

Bryant on Columbus Completion

At this point, it’s hard to say if the building will be move-in ready by its currently estimated August completion date. The developer pushed the date back once already, but with the quick movement that they have seen over the past several months, August, at this point, does not look like it is entirely out of the question. For comparison, the Mandarin Oriental, which is just a few blocks away, has its shell nearly complete, and they are targeting what appears to be a quite realistic July 2008 opening.

Bryant on Columbus Pricing

The Bryant will boast three-bedroom floor through living spaces. Three-bedroom units start at approximately $1,550,000 for just over 2,000 square feet, and run up through $2,950,000 for 2,000+ square feet penthouses with private outdoor space. Price per square foot at the Bryant ranges from $750 to $1,400+. Direct elevator access, 5-day concierge, secure garage parking, and high-end finishes throughout these condos along Columbus Avenue (where the Back Bay meets the South End) will be an excellent addition to the neighborhood.

As we draw closure to 2007, it’s time to take a look at some of the top available options for 2008 in Boston condo developments. It’s actually quite difficult to single out the cream of the crop in the downtown Boston market because there are so many options for Buyers currently as great product continues to hit the market, and let’s face it, different developments suit different needs and lifestyles. With there being truly a large number of gems in the core downtown market, we are unfortunately skipping over many top-notch properties. We’ll continue to cover the entire market with in depth features, but, here is our short all around list, with straight-forward honest talk, for 2008.

• Court Square Press – the Court Square Press building in northern South Boston has a good historical story, but it may be the recent completion of its sister property, the Macallen, that catapults Court Square Press itself to our list. With the completion of the Macallen, the concierge-served residents of Court Square Press now have access to an absolutely gorgeous 20,000 square foot plaza with grills and a lap pool, as well as a high-end screening room with kitchen and bathroom that can be reserved by residents for private parties. Many units in Court Square Press feature loft-style brick and beam living, and recent upgrades to the in-house fitness center are stellar. Some of the only drawbacks to Court Square Press are some units receive poor light, and some residents have voiced concern over noise cancellation, however, apparent concerns have decreased significantly in this area. In the past, location may have been called a drawback to this development, however, there are multiple condo developments that are popping up adjacent to Court Square Press, and this is driving commercial entry into the area, turning northern South Boston into one of the hottest areas of the city.
• Bryant on Columbus – we’re going out on a limb in placing the Bryant on the list, namely because it is not complete yet. Nevertheless, the Bryant will offer lauded three-bedroom floor-through units with soaring ceilings and high-end amenities. The location will put you on the border of the neighborhood feel of the South End, and the “city living” surrounding Copley Square. Good inventory remains in the building, so great choices are still available at the Bryant, with an anticipated completion date of August 2008. Potential owners still need to consider heavily the location of their unit, and the natural light that will be available – the units will have excellent southern exposure, but will be in close proximity to the large 131 Dartmouth building behind it. Outside of a lack of multiple exposure windows, the only remaining drawbacks to the Bryant could be a 5-day concierge (however, HOA fees are substantially lower than similar direct-elevator luxury buildings), and the lack of excellent city views.
• 44 Snow Hill – this was a five-unit high-end renovation of a classic North End property. The last of the units sold in late July 2007, and we’ll need to keep our ears to the ground for a resale opportunity at this boutique development. Superb craftsmanship and exquisite finishes highlight the property. With only a two minute walk to the Waterfront, high ceilings, modern kitchens, and superb baths, 44 Snow Hill will be a diamond in the rough for a long time to come. Perhaps the only drawbacks to these units would be the laundry being communal in the basement, rather than having in-unit facilities, and parking is available for rent across the street rather than direct access.
• Meads of Commonwealth – we’ve written a fair bit about the Meads of Commonwealth, and for good reason, it is one of the finest properties in west end of the Back Bay. The quality of these units are unparalleled, the fixtures and amenities are truly spectacular. The units at the Meads are flowing floor-throughs, many with superb entry ways, and all with direct elevator access. What’s missing, well, perhaps a concierge, which for a property of this caliber, has been overlooked. The location of this boutique high-end development could be looked at as a minus, with it being away from the hustle and bustle of Newbury Street shopping or the tranquility of the Public Garden.

No list is going to be perfect. Bottom line, the condo options available across the core of downtown Boston are stellar, all of them accommodating different needs and lifestyles through various amenity levels. For more information on the above-mentioned developments, or to discuss any of those we did not cover in this blog post, feel free to contact us.

It’s been over 6 months in the making, but we finally have above-grade progress being made on the Bryant on Columbus, a 50-unit ultra-luxury condo development on the northern side of Columbus Avenue between Dartmouth and Clarendon along the border of the Back Bay and South End (steps away from 285 Columbus Lofts).

Multiple cranes have been onsite for the past month, and progress has definitely been made after laying the foundation for the below grade parking garage. See the exclusive photos below for a view of the upward progress.

Approximately 10% of the development is under reservation or in process. Interesting to note that concierge services will be available Monday through Friday at the Bryant, keeping HOA fees down considerably in comparison to similar high-end developments across the city.

For more information, or to setup an appointment to visit the sales center (with a model kitchen, bath, and doll house rendering), contact us.