0 Solution Needed for Truck Traffic in Boston Seaport

Posted on February 11, 2017 by Wil Catlin

Traffic in Boston’s Seaport continues to frustrate all that try to navigate the area. Truck traffic continues to increase, but the city is looking to mitigate the congestion with some innovative solutions.

Credit: Boston Herlad

From the Boston Herald:

Container and delivery trucks are rumbling through South Boston and the Seaport 6,000 times a day on average, according to a new Massport survey, rattling the high-priced loft and condo tenants

“A lot of folks moving to the Fort Point area, they weren’t necessarily expecting the volume of trucks,” he said. “That’s the polite way of putting it.”

The state has sought to address that, investing $75 million to build a freight corridor from the terminal to divert container trucks off of nearby West First Street.

0 Boston Has Long Been an Innovation Hub

Posted on February 10, 2017 by Wil Catlin

Boston has been innovating for centuries. Its prowess, formulated with the race to build the first underground community powered by electricity, laid the groundwork for innovation to come.

As noted by PBS, “it was Boston — a city of so many firsts — that overcame a litany of engineering challenges, the greed-driven interests of businessmen, and the great fears of its citizenry to construct America’s first subway.”

You can read more on this historical feat on PBS.org.

0 Globe Photographer Captures Evolution of Boston Waterfront, Seaport

Posted on February 10, 2017 by Wil Catlin

Credit: Boston Globe

The evolution of a Seaport submarket through the lens of Boston Globe photographer David L. Ryan from 1982 to present.

According to the Boston Globe, “more than $1.5 billion worth of apartments, condos, storefronts, and office space is under construction in the Seaport right now, all within the span of a few blocks. Another $850 million in projects is set to break ground soon.”

Click over to view a the evolution of the Boston Seaport as captured by the Boston Globe.

0 Penthouse Office Space in Back Bay at 116 Huntington Ave.

Posted on February 9, 2017 by Wil Catlin

Back bay office space on Huntington Ave.

Credit: BBJ

Rood Deck, parking and a newly renovated lobby can all be found at 116 Huntington Avenue in Boston’s Back Bay. The 275,000-square-foot, 14-story building is situated directly across the street from 101 and 111 Huntington Avenue at the intersection of Ring Road and Huntington Avenue.

From Bizjournals:

“We were drawn to its location in Boston’s most vibrant neighborhood and to the opportunity to reimagine it as a best-in-class office destination,” said Adam Popper, Columbia’s senior vice president for the Eastern region, in a statement. “We believe the penthouse space, with its wrap-around terraces, high ceilings, modern amenities and incredible views, will soon be recognized as one of Boston’s premier corporate environments, and we’re already seeing significant interest from prospects as we seek to fill the building’s remaining availability.”

Shawmut Design and Construction, the third-largest general contractor in Massachusetts, completed the $10 million renovation, which was designed by Dyer Brown. Work included upgrades to the building’s lobby, installing a glass facade and bronze panels along the building’s exterior, and adding close to 1,500 square feet of private outdoor terrace space for a future tenant for the 25,366-square-foot penthouse space.

0 Winthrop Square Tower Pushes to Maintain Height

Posted on February 9, 2017 by Wil Catlin

Credit: Boston Globe

No change in height from the developer for Winthrop Square tower.

From Curbed, Boston:

The main bone of contention re: the development is its height, which will likely stretch to 775 feet. That has raised concerns about potential shadows that the tower might cast on the Common and the Public Garden.

Is Millennium considering cutting the height? No. We feel this project was holistically designed at its optimum size in response to achieving the goals that the city required for this public asset.

0 MA Has Highest Rate of LEED Certification in US

Posted on February 9, 2017 by Wil Catlin

Credit: Boston Business Journals

Being green is an attribute that Boston landlords aspire to achieve, and do so at a national-leading rate.

From the BBJ:

Massachusetts had 136 properties spanning 24.4 million square feet achieve LEED certification last year. That represented 3.73 square feet of certified space per resident — the highest rate of any other state in the U.S….The ranking comes at a time of both significant deal-making activity in the region’s real estate capital markets industry and during one of the largest building booms in the city’s history.

“Sometimes what will happen is a broker tells an owner: ‘I can’t show this property because buyers only want LEED-certified properties,’” Lee said. “They’re using LEED as a mechanism to give their brokers a little extra ammunition in the marketplace. … LEED is a global brand, and people recognize it as a third-party accountability structure that helps all parties get their game to a better level. It’s part of what capital markets are looking for: how do you distinguish one asset from another?”

What does LEED mean? From Wikipedia:
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is one of the most popular green building certification programs used worldwide.[7] Developed by the non-profit U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) it includes a set of rating systems for the design, construction, operation, and maintenance of green buildings, homes, and neighborhoods[8] that aims to help building owners and operators be environmentally responsible and use resources efficiently.

0 Boston City Hall Looking to Host Local Coffee Shop

Posted on February 9, 2017 by Wil Catlin

Credit: Boston Business Journal

If you have coffee shop and are looking to expand, Mayor Walsh wants to speak with you about City Hall. The amenities that building offers are a tremendous asset to their occupants and the mayor is taking a page out of the private playbook.

Looking forward to seeing who lands the spot, and it’s safe to assume it will be a group with strong local roots and good beans.

According to the Boston Business Journal, “Mayor Martin J. Walsh on Tuesday announced the release of a request for proposals for applicants interested in operating a coffee shop in the lobby of Boston City Hall. The project is part of a renovation of the lobby, which is scheduled to be completed this spring. According to the proposal, the lease would cover a three-year period beginning April 1.”

Additional details are available on the BBJ’s website, here.

0 Green Line Extension Gets Boost from New Administration

Posted on February 9, 2017 by Wil Catlin

The Green Line extension appears to be moving back to the front page and is part of an infrastructure initiative put forward by the Trump administration.

Credit: BBJ

According to a recent BBJ article, “the much-delayed MBTA Green Line extension to link Cambridge’s Alewife to Somerville and Medford is one of 50 infrastructure projects that President Trump’s transition team has identified as a priority, according to a document obtained by the Kansas City Star…The total cost of the MBTA’s 4.3-mile Green Line extension could be as much as $3 billion and result in 3,000 jobs, according to the document.”

From Wikipedia:
The Green Line Extension (sometimes abbreviated as GLX) is an initiative to expand transit services in Greater Boston by extending the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) Green Linelight rail beyond its current northern terminus at Lechmere Station in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The 4.3-mile (6.9 km) extension is intended in order to improve mobility and regional access for residents in the densely populated municipalities of Somerville and Medford, two cities currently underserved by the MBTA relative to their population densities, commercial importance, and proximity to Boston.

0 Self-driving Cars Create Employment Opportunities for Individuals with Disabilities

Posted on February 8, 2017 by Wil Catlin

Self-driving car in the street of Boston and Cambridge

Credit: Boston Herlad

Self-driving cars, who’s technology in part is being created and tested in Boston, will offer the nearly 2 million individuals with disabilities new employment opportunities.

From the Boston Herald:

In a study released by the Boston-based Ruderman Family Foundation last week, researchers found self-driving cars would dramatically improve the lives of disabled residents by making it easier and cheaper for them to travel — especially to and from a job.

“Approximately 2 million individuals with disabilities would have new employment opportunities,” the study said. “New transportation technologies have the potential to help those with disabilities enjoy the activities that those without disabilities take for granted.”