Members of the Columbia-Savin Hill Civic Association on Monday approved a proposal to build a new life sciences building along the southerly edge of the former Boston Globe property. The proposed six-story building— roughly 300,000 square feet in size— would be set on what is now a parking lot next to the Southeast Expressway and Patten’s Cove.

Much of the discussion on the Zoom call centered on the height of the building. At earlier meetings, civic members asked that the ownership team from Beacon Capital Partners consider a shorter building, which would not block as much of the downtown skyline view from Savin Hill.

On Monday, Steve Purpura, president of Beacon’s life science division, showed renderings of a four-story version of the building, which would come closer to residences along the property’s edge. Abutters who joined the Zoom meeting said they feel the six-story building would be less intrusive. 

“I’ve gotta tell you, we feel so strongly about the four-story building,” said Savin Hill Court resident Nancy Cook. The shorter version, she said, would be a “building we could throw a snowball at,” just 60 feet from their homes.

In a Zoom chat message, she said, “We feel very, very strongly about having the 6-story that is not right on top of our properties on Savin Hill Court!!!!”

Some attendees wanted assurances that the six-story structure would be the last piece of development on the lot. Purpura said they are “open to discussing it,” and generally speaking have “no intention of developing the site any further than we’re proposing.”

In response to queries about a smaller overall building – perhaps with the actual footprint of the six-story structure but only four stories tall – Purpura said a reduced square footage “did not make economic sense from our perspective.” 

Several civic members said they still felt the six stories was too tall. A vote to support the six-story concept was held during the Zoom. The tally was not available but the civic group said it passed by a narrow margin.

A name change debate
Monday’s discussion also included some debate about the new name of the main building, which has undergone extensive renovations over the last two years. The property has been known as “The BEAT, an acronym that stands for “Boston Exchange for Accelerated Technology.” It is also a nod to the “beat” reporters who once worked at the site.

Now, Beacon Capital Partners are pivoting to a new name: Southline Boston. The company already has a South San Francisco property called Southline San Francisco.

Purpura told civic members: “We were trying to reflect a rebranding of the asset.” The team is “trying to engage the neighborhood,” particularly the “south side of the city with access to the Red Line.” 

Kristine Hoag, who chairs the civic group’s planning committee, asked if the rebrand was an attempt to “attach to South Boston and not Dorchester.”

Purpura was quick to answer. “Definitely not,” he said, noting that the “south side” of Boston “hasn’t grown as quickly as the rest” with regard to lab and office spaces. 

Less controversial was a discussion about a liquor license that Beacon intends to seek for the renovated Globe building. Framed as a post-work place to grab a drink and a bite, the license is not intended to service a late night spot. Civic members voted in favor of the proposal.