Boston's Lost Landmarks: Filene's In Downtown Crossing
BOSTON (CBS) - Once one of Boston's major department stores, Filene's is now a store of the past. Founded in 1881 in the city's Downtown Crossing shopping district, the store's success is credited to Edward and Lincoln Filene, sons of founder William Filene.
Read-Listen: Boston's Lost Landmarks Series
In 1908, Edward Filene opened an annex with bargain prices as a way to unload surplus merchandise. That was the beginning of Filene's Basement, which would go on to feature an annual bridal gown sale, dubbed the "Running of the Brides."
While Filene's Basement is now an online store, Filene's was dissolved in 2006, absorbed into Macy's.
Greg Neagle works as a Downtown Crossing ambassador. His job is to keep the area clean, and help shoppers with any questions they may have. He vividly remembers the Filene's flagship store, located in the historic Burnham Building, sitting vacant while Filene's two newer, adjacent buildings were torn down.
"All that was left was a big hole in the ground, but now there's a big building in there. Praise God," he says.
Big building indeed - the Millennium Tower, a 60-story residential high rise with 444 luxury homes all still under construction.
Millennium Partners stepped in to fill the void left after Vernado Realty Trust, embroiled in a well-publicized dispute with City Hall, dropped its development plans and left an eyesore for five long years.
"The scar. The scar has been healed," Richard Baumert, a partner with Millennium Partners, told WBZ NewsRadio 1030.
According to Baumert, Millennium Tower is 90-percent sold, and 70-percent of the incoming residents are local. The 12,846 square-foot penthouse, with its $37.5 million asking price is still available. Baumert said there is interest being expressed.
A trip to the top of the tower is well worth the time and effort.
Stepping outside from the unfinished floor-to-ceiling glass interior to the penthouse terrace, the panoramic view is unparalleled.
"You're on top of the world," says Baumert.
"People are in awe when they come up here. It's breathtaking. It takes a while to take it all in," he adds.
Watch: WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Tour of the Millennium Tower
Baumert calls Boston a world class city that just continues to grow and says it's a perfect fit for Millennium Partners, now the cornerstone of its ten-year investment in the Downtown District.
Coming up in part eight - J.J. Foley's in the South End and the man behind the 'Dirty Old Boston' Facebook page.
Listen to Part 7
