LaFayette Center
LaFayette Center is a downtown Boston mixed-use complex that began as an unsuccessful urban shopping mall and was later repositioned toward office and retail uses.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
LaFayette Center is the current identity of a mixed-use commercial complex in downtown Boston, Massachusetts, historically known as LaFayette Place Mall and later Lafayette Corporate Center. The property occupies a site with a long retail history. The location formerly contained the R. H. White department store, an ornate six-story emporium that operated there from 1876 until the company failed in 1957. Subsequent occupants included Citymart from 1962 to 1966 and Raymond's from 1966 to 1972. After Raymond's departed, the structure was demolished and the site was used as a parking lot before being redeveloped. The first major version of the modern complex was completed in 1984 by Mondev, or Montreal Development. The project was conceived as an urban shopping and hospitality destination and included approximately 300,000 square feet of retail space and a 500-room hotel. The hotel initially carried the Hotel Lafayette name and was subsequently operated under the Swissôtel and Hyatt brands. The development was also associated with a new downtown flagship location for Jordan Marsh, which later became a Macy's store. Its position at the less commercially favored end of Boston's downtown shopping district proved difficult, particularly as shoppers continued to migrate to suburban malls and the surrounding area was viewed as unattractive and unsafe during the property's early years. The original mall struggled with both market conditions and design criticism. Its interior was organized around a circular corridor that did not resonate with shoppers, while the largely solid brick exterior created a fortress-like street presence. Occupancy never exceeded approximately 60 percent, and the mall closed in 1989, only five years after opening. Ownership subsequently devolved to Chemical Bank, and much of the retail space remained vacant for a period. A redevelopment effort led by Homart Development Company sought to revive the property during the 1990s. In 1997, Patriot Games LLC, a consortium of three companies, acquired the complex. The redevelopment added two stories and shifted the project away from its failed enclosed-mall model toward office use. It was renamed Lafayette Corporate Center, with State Street Corporation becoming a major anchor tenant and leasing approximately 435,000 square feet of space. The property changed hands again in 2002, when Patriot Games sold it to The Abbey Group. State Street later left the complex during the 2010s for offices in Boston's Fort Point Channel area. By then, downtown Boston had experienced renewed commercial activity and an expanding residential population. In response, The Abbey Group undertook another redevelopment in 2014, restoring and reviving retail space while retaining the complex's office and mixed-use role. The property was rebranded Lafayette City Center, the name associated with its current incarnation. Its history illustrates the risks of enclosed urban malls, the importance of street-facing design and neighborhood conditions, and the adaptive reuse of underperforming retail property as a mixed-use downtown asset.
History
The site of LaFayette Center has been associated with Boston retail since the nineteenth century. R. H. White operated a six-story department store on the location from 1876 until the business closed in 1957. The property was then occupied by Citymart between 1962 and 1966 and by Raymond's from 1966 to 1972. After Raymond's departure, the older building was demolished. The site was used as a parking lot before becoming the location of a major downtown redevelopment. Mondev developed the first LaFayette Place complex, completed in 1984. It combined a 300,000-square-foot retail mall with a 500-room hotel and was planned alongside a new downtown flagship store for Jordan Marsh. The hotel was later known as a Swissôtel and then a Hyatt. The project was intended to reinforce downtown Boston but faced a difficult location, competition from suburban shopping centers, weak pedestrian conditions, and the declining reputation of the surrounding area. Its circular interior circulation plan failed to attract shoppers, while the heavy brick exterior was criticized as unfriendly and fortress-like. Occupancy did not rise above roughly 60 percent, and the mall closed in 1989. After the closure, ownership devolved to Chemical Bank and the retail area remained substantially underused. Homart Development Company worked on a redevelopment during the 1990s. Patriot Games LLC acquired the property in 1997 and transformed it into a more office-oriented complex. The redevelopment added two stories and introduced the Lafayette Corporate Center name. State Street Corporation became a principal tenant, occupying approximately 435,000 square feet. Patriot Games sold the property to The Abbey Group in 2002. State Street eventually relocated from the complex to Boston's Fort Point Channel district during the 2010s. As downtown Boston became more active and nearby residential demand increased, The Abbey Group pursued a further repositioning in 2014. The project revived retail space and adopted the Lafayette City Center name. The complex's evolution from enclosed mall to office-led mixed-use center reflects broader changes in downtown real estate, including the decline of inward-facing shopping malls and the increased value of adaptable office, retail, and street-oriented space.
- 2014
Lafayette City Center identity is introduced
[1]The Abbey Group redevelops the complex, revives retail uses, and rebrands it Lafayette City Center.
- 2002
The Abbey Group becomes owner
[1]The Abbey Group buys the property from Patriot Games LLC.
- 1997
Patriot Games acquires the complex
[1]Patriot Games LLC purchases the property and begins a redevelopment centered more heavily on office use.
- 1989
The enclosed mall closes
[1]The original mall shuts after failing to achieve sustainable occupancy and shopper traffic.
- 1984
LaFayette Place Mall opens
[1]Mondev completes the urban shopping and hotel complex, including approximately 300,000 square feet of retail space and a 500-room hotel.
- 1966
Raymond's becomes the site's retailer
[1]Raymond's occupies the location from 1966 until 1972.
- 1962
Citymart occupies the former department-store site
[1]Citymart operates at the location from 1962 to 1966.
- 1957
R. H. White ceases operations
[1]R. H. White goes out of business after decades as the site's principal department-store occupant.
- 1876
R. H. White opens on the site
[1]The R. H. White department store begins operating from an ornate six-story building on the future Lafayette Center site.
Products and positioning
A downtown Boston mixed-use commercial destination positioned around office, retail, and urban redevelopment rather than as a conventional enclosed shopping mall.
Retail real estate · 1984
Retail space
The property originally offered approximately 300,000 square feet of enclosed retail space. After the mall closed, retail uses were reduced or left vacant for a period. The 2014 redevelopment revived retail activity as part of a more open, mixed-use downtown format rather than returning to the original enclosed-mall model.
Commercial real estate · 1990
Office space
Office accommodation became the central component of the property's post-1990s repositioning. Under the Lafayette Corporate Center identity, the complex added two stories and attracted State Street Corporation as a major anchor tenant, with the company leasing approximately 435,000 square feet before later relocating elsewhere in Boston.
Hospitality · 1984
Hotel component
The original 1984 project included a 500-room hotel. It began as Hotel Lafayette and later operated under the Swissôtel and Hyatt names. The available reference material does not establish the hotel's current operating status or relationship to the present Lafayette City Center identity.
Brand decisions
2014
Reintroduce retail and rebrand as Lafayette City CenterStrategyBackground
Downtown Boston had gained new retail vitality and nearby residential demand, creating conditions for another repositioning of the property.
Action taken
The Abbey Group redeveloped the complex, revived retail space, and adopted the Lafayette City Center name.
Aftermath
The property continued as a mixed-use office and retail complex rather than as the failed enclosed mall of the 1980s.
1997
Shift from enclosed retail toward office useStrategyBackground
Following the mall's closure and a period of vacancy, the property required a new commercial model.
Action taken
Patriot Games LLC acquired the property, added two stories, and redeveloped it primarily as office space under the Lafayette Corporate Center name.
Aftermath
State Street Corporation became a major anchor tenant, leasing approximately 435,000 square feet.
1984
Develop an urban shopping and hotel complexOtherBackground
Mondev developed the site as a large downtown retail and hospitality project, with the goal of creating a major destination at the less commercially successful end of Boston's shopping district.
Action taken
The project combined a 300,000-square-foot retail mall, a 500-room hotel, and an adjacent Jordan Marsh flagship store.
Aftermath
The enclosed mall failed to achieve sustained occupancy and closed in 1989.
Sources1 sources
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