The plaza outside the distinctive downtown office tower at 100 Federal St. could soon be covered with a large glass atrium containing retail shops and event space.
According to a presentation filed with the city this week by tower owner Boston Properties, a geometric glass-and-steel “cage” will be erected over what is now an outdoor plaza, significantly expanding the street-level footprint of the 37-story building.
The atrium will feature retail shops, dining tables, and a winter garden with plants that can be moved to accommodate different uses of the space. In renderings, the company shows how the atrium can be reorganized to host various events, including panel discussions, concerts, theater, and galas.
“We are pleased to be working with the City to transform the plaza outside 100 Federal Street into an enclosed and vital gathering space for the downtown community,” said Bryan Koop, a Boston Properties senior vice president, in a statement. “The weather-protected atrium space is planned to complement the outdoor space at Post Office Square Park and will be programmed with restaurants and events to bring a more active and lively streetscape to the base of the tower.”
Boston Redevelopment Authority spokesman Nick Martin said the project doesn’t require city approval beyond a standard building permit from the Inspectional Services Department. But Boston Properties has decided to seek a nonbinding advisory opinion from the Boston Civic Design Commission.
Intriguingly, the Boston Properties renderings show signs for Putnam Investments, which has said it is considering moving to a new headquarters from its current office at One Post Office Square. Rumors over the summer suggested that 100 Federal St. might be in the running to land the mutual fund management firm as a tenant.
Officials at Putnam said no decision has been reached about a possible new location. The company is looking at several alternatives, including staying put at One Post Office Square, spokesman Jon Goldstein said.
“We continue to look at a number of different options with regard to where our headquarters will be located, including our current facility,” Goldstein said
Boston Properties bought the tower at 100 Federal St. from Bank of America Corp. in 2012, but the bank leased back roughly half of the tower’s 1.3 million square feet at the time.
Dan Adams can be reached at dadams@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @DanielAdams86. Jon Chesto of the Globe staff contributed to this report.