0 Rose Kennedy Greenway Realizing Potential

Posted on November 29, 2016 by Wil Catlin

Credit: Boston Business Journal

Growing up, the Central Artery that hosted Interstate 93 was anything but a place to hang out; today it is a vibrant park hosting food trucks, Wifi and people on 15 acres stringing our city together.

According to the Boston Business Journal, “Lawn On D in South Boston, owned and operated by the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority…is on track to reach more than $1.2 million in net revenue for 2016. That represents 300 percent growth over revenue of $400,000 generated the year prior…Since 2009, when the Greenway was first opened and some people in Boston were referring to the open space as the “Emptyway,” the Greenway has tracked growth by a number of metrics: food trucks and their patrons; third-party events along the Greenway and their attendees; wireless Internet users; and carousel riders, to name a few.”

More information on the Greenway’s growth is available on the BBJ, here.

0 Boston Seaport a Test Ground for Self-Driving Cars

Posted on November 21, 2016 by Wil Catlin

Credit: BBJ

Self-driving cars are going to change our relationship with the automobile far more significantly that any other change that has been introduced over the century. The days are numbered until we simply “Uber” our own car to come pick us up after work. Some car manufactures are building their own technology to compete directly with ridesharing companies.

From the Boston Business Journal:

“Boston and Massachusetts are leaders in rethinking the future of transportation, and we are grateful for their partnership and support of nuTonomy’s efforts to develop a fleet of self-driving cars to serve the public,” said CEO Karl Iagnemma in a statement.

The pilot program will be the first test of autonomous vehicles on public streets in Boston, and comes just a month after Mayor Marty Walsh and Gov. Charlie Baker signed executive orders allowing tests of the vehicles as long as they pass state inspections and have a person in the driver’s seat ready to take control if anything goes wrong. The nuTonomy test is part of the the Go Boston 2030 plan to rethink city transportation over the next decade and a half.

0 Walsh Has Visions on ‘Boston Building Boom’

Posted on November 21, 2016 by Wil Catlin

Office space for commercial development in Boston

Credit: Boston Globe

Mayor Walsh is planning an update to the city’s master plan, which was last updated in the 1950’s. The concern is how do manage the growth of the daytime and nighttime population while maintaining efficient access for commuters and tourists.

From the Boston Globe:

Boston’s building boom will need to stretch into some of the farthest reaches of the city to keep pace with a population that could hit 800,000 by 2050, according to a new citywide master plan the Walsh administration previewed Thursday.

A draft of the plan, called Imagine Boston 2030 envisions new neighborhoods emerging from underdeveloped pockets of a city that is bursting at the seams in more central locations. Walsh officials said they will use the master plan to sustain and redirect growth more evenly around the city, and to attack seemingly-intractable challenges, from pricey housing, to traffic-choked streets, to rising sea levels.

One key element of the 300-page document is “expanding neighborhoods,” in which a half-dozen pockets, mostly on the outer edges of the city, would be targeted for large-scale mixed-use development. Many of these locations already have good access to public transit, city officials point out, and have lower land costs to allow for more moderately-priced housing. That would help relieve pressure on more popular neighborhoods where prices have soared.

0 Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street

Posted on November 21, 2016 by Wil Catlin

Boston Realty Advisors represented Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street search for a new location in the Financial District. According to Wil Catlin, Managing Principal at Boston Realty Advisors, 177 Milk Street was the perfect fit for Chris’s new venture. The building known as the Grain Exchange was completed in 1892 and sits one South from the Custom House on the Greenway. The space occupied by Milk Street is on the retail level with direct access from India Street with expansive ceilings and windows.

Client Testimonial Tenant Representation from Boston Realty Advisors on Vimeo.

0 Boston City Hall Plaza to Unveil Skating, Winter Shops

Posted on November 18, 2016 by Wil Catlin

Credit: Boston Globe

Boston’s City Hall Plaza is going to get decked out for the holidays. This is a brand new venue for Boston to attract families and tourists.

From the Boston Globe:

Sponsored by Berkshire Bank, the winter-garden-like program will include an outdoor ice-skating path, a 20-foot Christmas tree with lights that will be powered by stationary bicycles and more than 40 boutique “chalets” featuring wares from local vendors such as the Grommet, LovePop, Etsy Artists of Boston, and Boston Olive Oil Co.

There will also be an Urban Lodge, a riff on a ski lodge where shoppers and skaters can come in from the cold and lounge with some beer, wine, or hot chocolate.

The holiday vendors will be at the winter garden through Dec. 31. The ice rink, which will feature skating lessons and other events, will be available through February.

0 Boston Heliport will be Discussed at Mid-November Hearing

Posted on November 17, 2016 by Wil Catlin

Boston has not had a heliport since 1999 and City councilors plan to hold a public hearing November 16th to discuss the topic.

Credit: Boston Herald

From the Boston Herald:

Boston city councilors will hold a public hearing Wednesday on plans to create a commercial heliport in the Hub after a call for more information by the councilor who helped ground plans for a similar site eight years ago.

City and state officials promised to create a commercial helipad as part of their $120 million incentive package to lure General Electric to Boston from Connecticut. But the project has stalled among concerns about corporate incentives and MassDOT budget concerns.

“Establishing a helipad would likely lead to an influx of helicopters to the area, which would impact noise, air pollution and safety concerns in our neighborhoods,” the order reads.

0 Boston and Cambridge Office Space Retain Demand

Posted on November 14, 2016 by Wil Catlin

Kendall Sq. Office building

The rest of the country should follow us, at least for how we develop and occupy our office buildings here in Boston and Cambridge commercial real estate markets.

From Nerej.com:

The Boston office market itself is a text book for the office market of the 21st century…the city of Boston will have its fourth straight year of over 1 million s/f of absorption and has a 7.2% vacancy rate.

Cambridge is a story unto itself. This is a 23.7 million s/f market with a 3.8% office vacancy and 3.0% lab vacancy. The market is completely out of space.

0 Co-Working Office Space’s Impact on the Commercial Environment

Posted on November 14, 2016 by New_admin

Never had this crossed my mind, the social do’s and don’ts of Co-Working and its larger implications.

Credit: New York Times

From the NY Times:

To get a glimpse of what manners will be like in the office of the future, it behooves us to look at co-working spaces, those offices peopled by freelancers or by workers who have different employers. Many sources predict that by 2020, half of the work force will be freelance.

One theory of etiquette holds that manners are best in communities with fixed populations: If you know that you’ll see Tina again tomorrow (and Tuesday and Wednesday), you’re less likely to surreptitiously scarf down the rest of the half-eaten boysenberry yogurt she left in the office fridge, because daily exposure to her yogurt-based wistfulness will start to gnaw at you, and ultimately turn you into a Munch painting.

0 Co-working Office Space Portends Modern Commercial Real Estate

Posted on November 14, 2016 by Wil Catlin

WeWork

It is clear, Co-working is a valuable resource when launching a company. Depending on, in part your age, or size of your company, shared space is by far changing the traditional office environment. No longer are we a society of cubes and offices; we now have huddle rooms, phone booths, collaboration stations and quiet spaces.

There’s a variety of co-working options and environments available to applicable enterprises; for instances, at WeWork businesses can receive the following:

HOT DESK
A shared workspace in a common area. When you purchase a Hot Desk, there is no need to reserve a particular workspace in advance each day; you can come and go as needed and use any available desk.

This plan includes access to our digital Member Network, events, and services, 24/7 keycard access at your home location, as well as 2 monthly credits for reserving workspaces and conference rooms.

DEDICATED DESK
An assigned desk space in a large open area shared with other members. This dedicated space comes with a lockable filing cabinet for your personal belongings. Desktops may be set up and left overnight. This plan includes access to our digital Member Network, events, and services, 24/7 keycard access at your home location, as well as 5 monthly credits for reserving workspaces and conference rooms.

PRIVATE OFFICE
A fully enclosed, lockable office space. Your company can add on more offices as you grow. This plan includes access to our digital Member Network, events, and services, 24/7 keycard access at your home location, as well as monthly credits for reserving workspaces and conference rooms that correlate with your office size (minimum of 12 credits for a 1 person office).

You can read more on the Daily Free press website.

0 Reebok Moves HQ from Canton to Boston

Posted on November 7, 2016 by Wil Catlin

Credit: Boston Globe

Another major corporate tenant is on the move to Boston. Reebok will surrender is corporate campus life in Canton for a vibrant urban feel.

From the Boston Globe:

Reebok, the athletic shoe and apparel company, plans to shift about 700 employees from Canton to a new headquarters in the city…Reebok president Matt O’Toole said the company is still reviewing a few sites in Boston, all in existing buildings and accessible to southern suburbs and mass transit.

O’Toole cited two reasons for the move. Adidas wants to “clarify the roles” of its offices in the United States. And Reebok wants to be in a vibrant urban area where millennials are eager to work and live. The average age of Reebok employees in Canton is under 30, and many live in Boston already, he said.