Chiofaro downsizes harbor garage towers plan

Don Chiofaro has again cut back the size of his Aquarium Place project by 200,000 square feet but more importantly has trimmed the height of the twin towers he is hoping to build to 615 feet and 471 feet respectively.

Chiofaro, the well known president of the company which bears his family name, said last week that the final size for the project would be closer to 1.3 million square feet of office, hotel, retail and residential use.

“This is a real opportunity for the mayor,” Chiofaro said. “We really hope the mayor will step up as the leader of the city and bring this opportunity to a place where we can actually execute it.”

The Boston Redevelopment Authority said it would file a review when Chiofaro files revisions.

Other than to say that, the BRA described Chiofaro’s newest gambit as a public relations scheme.

Chiofaro’s downscaled project did not motivate Mayor Thomas Menino to comment about it.

Chiofaro believes the project could employ as many as 7,000 and pay more than $20 million yearly in property taxes.

In addition, he has estimated that building permits alone would cost millions of dollars.

“Assuming we can meet the imperatives and needs of the BRA, the Aquarium people and the residents of the area, this is a big win for the waterfront and for the city,” Chiofaro told the Regional Review.

“Thousands of trades people out of work for more than two years would be brought back to employment – and when the project is completed, the waterfront will have yet another artfully designed neighborhood and the Greenway will be better for it as well,” he added.