"They came in with a conceptual drawing that is going down the right track," Doug Pizzi, spokesman for Durand, tells GlobeSt.com. "This is a very preliminary plan and we need to see a lot more detail, but in terms of the amount of open space and density of development, it's definitely what we're going for."

The million sf of development is nearly one third less than in the original proposal. The project would include three buildings, walkways, retail spaces, restaurants and a one-acre park. The famous Anthony's Pier 4 Restaurant would be rebuilt and relocated.

While Karp's plans still need to go through a series of permitting processes, receiving even the tacit approval of the state's environmental office has enabled him to clear a major hurdle. In contrast, negotiations over another waterfront development project, Fan Pier, have stalled since Durand rejected a proposal put forth by Mayor Thomas M. Menino to slim down one of the seven buildings planned for that project.