BOSTON (AP) — An ugly scar that has marred Boston's downtown shopping district for years is finally being developed.

Boston regulators Thursday approved construction of a 625-foot residential tower, and the restoration of the original Filene's building into offices and stores. The $620 million project also includes the renovation of a neighboring park that will add a new MBTA station entrance and an outdoor amphitheater.

The Boston Globe (http://bo.st/RQFzO0 ) reports that developer Millennium Partners is planning to move forward with construction by the middle of next year.

The tower is taller and more slender than a proposed earlier version.

The initial effort to remake the Filene's property stalled in 2008, as the recession dried up funding. The developers stopped the project mid-construction, leaving a crater in the middle of the shopping district.

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Information from: The Boston Globe, http://www.boston.com/globe