Through a glass walkway in an 11th-floor amenity space, a crowd of business people, commercial real estate executives and city officials mingled over wine and finger foods while a live band played. 

They had gathered to celebrate the opening of Boston's newest skyscraper, a 700-foot-tall mixed-use project that was nearly three decades in the making. 

South Station Tower, a 678-foot-tall mixed-use building, features high-end condos and office space atop one of the city's busiest transportation hubs.

Developer Hines has been working on planning, designing and building the project since 1997. Pelli Clarke & Partners served as the architect. Suffolk Construction was the general contractor.  

Due to its long-term planning and development, the project has changed through massive downturns, a pandemic and a shifting office landscape. As the new tower opened Thursday, city officials and the development team voiced optimism about the benefits it will bring. 

"We now stand at the beginning of a new era for office and mixed-use development," Hines co-CEO Jeffrey Hines said at a Thursday night event to mark the opening of the tower.

"South Station is living proof the next cycle of growth has arrived, underpinned by real demand, resilient fundamentals and shared ambition," he added. "This landmark has witnessed generations of transformation, and together, we have reimagined its future while honoring its legacy."

The top 16 floors are all condominiums managed under the Ritz-Carlton Residences brand. Residents will begin to move in this fall, with pricing starting at $1.3M.

The building has 680K SF of office space on the 12th to 34th floors. The developer has signed three office leases so far: a 41K SF deal with Jones Day, 50K SF with FM Global and a new lease announced this week with Citadel for which the square footage wasn't disclosed. 

The 11th-story amenities floor, where Thursday's event was held, will be used by residents and office workers. It includes a large outdoor space overlooking the financial district as well as laser-cut glass leaves hanging from one of the many bar areas and marble floors and walls throughout. The building also has an amenity center on the 36th floor for residents featuring a fitness center, outdoor pool and other wellness and entertainment offerings. 

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu said at the opening that the building aligns with the city's goals to bring more companies and residents back downtown and restore the area's vibrancy.

"South Station tower is going to bring even more families, more businesses and more visitors downtown," Wu said. "This building is a testament to our city's mission: making Boston a home for everyone."

The development marks the first major capital improvement project at South Station since the 1980s and expands its bus terminal by 50%. More than 112,000 riders go through the station on any given day.

Before construction, the mixed-use tower went through many hurdles. The project faced years of delays as city and state officials worked with the development team through air rights issues, drawn-out permitting and overall project complexity.

At one point, the project had been envisioned to be anchored by tech company Salesforce, but the company later backed out of talks during the pandemic. 

"Everyone who's been involved with the city and the state level have had a lot of patience," Wu said. "Both with the cycles that this project has made it through, and also with the sheer complexity of coordination that was required to do a project of this magnitude on this site."

Suffolk CEO John Fish spoke at the event, highlighting the company's role in the development since site work began in 2018 — the longest project in the firm's history.

"This tower is so much more than just steel, glass and concrete," Fish said. "It's a symbol of vision, innovation and determination. It is a testament to everyone who made it possible. Today, the Boston skyline meets its story and its story is just beginning."

The building's office space is opening into a vastly different environment than when it started construction in 2020.

The Boston office market has continued to slowly recover from the pandemic-induced downturn, with the market recording four consecutive quarters of declining vacancy as of Q2. 

While the building still has a large amount of available space, Hines is confident the project will attract more companies in the near future. 

"For years, industry conversations have centered on uncertainty, the impacts of remote work, shifting demand and questions about the future of open environments," Hines said. "With the market cycle at its trough, momentum for office and mixed-use resurgence is clear."

Hines also touted the company's other investments in the city, including a 206-unit residential building at 1270 Commonwealth Ave. in Allston and its partnership with Healthpeak Properties on its 40-acre, mixed-use project near Alewife station in Cambridge.

"The market has reset, and the next cycle is underway," Hines said. "The world remains significantly underdeveloped relative to its long-term needs. It is our responsibility to build with the fundamentals supported to deliver high quality projects that meet the demands of our cities, our partners and the generations that follow."

Click through the slideshow below to see more photos of the building and Thursday's grand opening event.