0 Boston Public Library Renovation Includes Cafe and WGBH studio

Posted on July 10, 2016 by Wil Catlin

Interior Renovation of Boston Public Library

Credit: BBJ

Established in 1852, the Boston Public Library is scheduled to open its newly renovated streetscape, Café and radio studio.

From the BBJ:

The library’s central branch this Saturday will unveil the second phase of its $78 million renovation of the Johnson Building, which opened at 700 Boylston St. in 1972. The renovation’s first phase, which included a new children’s library, teen central and reference space, debuted last year.

The color scheme of the new sections primarily features blues, greens and a red-orange color aptly named “tawny daylily,” which were inspired by the John Singer Sargent murals at the McKim Building.

0 South End Gateway Plotted above Back Bay Station

Posted on May 9, 2016 by Wil Catlin

rendering of Back bay real estate development

Credit: Boston Business Journal

Back Bay Station is poised to be far more than just a commuting station. Boston Properties is proposing a 1.26 million square foot mixed use project.

From the BBJ:

Boston Properties (NYSE: BXP) on Tuesday filed a project notification form with the Boston Redevelopment Authority that outlines its plans for three separate commercial and residential towers and a renovated and expanded Back Bay Station. The total project, if approved, would include 575,000 square feet of commercial office space, up to 100,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space, and 600 residential units.

Boston Properties has dubbed the latest development the “South End Gateway” project. The development will span four air-rights parcels — that is, development built on top of existing buildings — atop Back Bay Station, and an existing parking garage at 100 Clarendon St. The development is bounded by Dartmouth Street, Stuart Street, Trinity Place and Clarendon Street in Boston’s Back Bay neighborhood.

0 Real Estate Developments Planned for Boston Train Stations

Posted on May 6, 2016 by Wil Catlin

proposed developments at Boston train stations

Credit: Boston Globe

Train and towers will be the combination for three large-scale projects at prime Boston locations, including South Station, Back Bay Station and North Station.

Brief excerpts on each impending Boston train station development from the Boston Globe:

North Station
Boston Properties and Delaware North have already begun construction at North Station. That project will eventually include a 38-story residential tower, two shorter buildings, and a massive retail complex at the long-empty site of the old Boston Garden on Causeway Street.

Back Bay Station
Across town, Boston Properties recently unveiled an ambitious vision to remake Back Bay Station and a neighboring parking garage as the base of a trio of buildings that would join the Back Bay and the South End.

South Station
And at South Station, the Houston developer Hines is attempting to kickstart long-stalled plans to build what would be among the tallest buildings in the city.

According to the Boston Globe article, “all three projects are complex, in terms of engineering and economics. But for the cash-strapped Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, they bring deep-pocketed partners who could help pay for needed transit improvements…In return, the developers would get access to some of the best locations in a crowded city with a growing population, where getting around can be a challenge.”

0 One Dalton Street Poised to Become NE’s Tallest Residential Building

Posted on April 15, 2016 by Wil Catlin

Credit: Boston Magazine

If living in the tallest residential building in New England is you dream, 1 Dalton Street should be on your list.

One Dalton, by the numbers:

740 feet: Height of One Dalton, the tallest residential building in New England.
790 feet: Height of 200 Clarendon (the Hancock Tower), the tallest building in New England.
61: Number of stories, including a private restaurant and bar on the 50th floor.
360°: Panorama from Boston Harbor to the Cape at certain residences.
$5.5 million: Price of a two-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bathroom residence on the 42nd floor.

From Boston Magazine:

Daltonians will enjoy five-star amenities that would make a Back Bay brownstone dweller swoon. Want a martini at 3 a.m.? A bartender from the 50th-floor private restaurant will oblige. Longing for the links? Visit the golf simulation room. There’s also a private theater, spa, salon, and health club—plus a 24-hour valet, laundry services, and housekeeping.

At home, residents can take in unobstructed views of the city from floor-to-ceiling glass walls. Many units have private balconies; all have fireplaces. One-bedrooms start at 900 square feet, and four- bedrooms start at 4,000 square feet, with an average expected cost of about $6 million.

Additional information is available on Boston Magazine.

0 BBJ Posts Interactive Map of Boston’s Largest Construction Projects

Posted on February 1, 2016 by Wil Catlin

Boston is rising! We are witnessing one of the city’s largest building booms and the attached map, courtesy of the Boston Business Journal, lays out all of the active sites.

Credit: BBJ

0 Boston’s Building Boom Modernizes Skyline

Posted on January 5, 2016 by Wil Catlin

Credit: Curbed

Credit: Curbed[/caption]

What do you think about some of Boston’s newest buildings gracing our skyline?

According to Curbed, Boston “is in the midst of adding about 8,000 new apartments and condos over the next three years, doubling the amount built in large luxury complexes since the 1960s. Just last year, the city approved construction projects totaling more than $3 billion. By the beginning of 2015, some 14.6 million square feet of new buildings were rising in Boston.

You can read the full article on Curbed.com

0 Boylston Street Office Rents Rank 7th on List of Country’s Most Expensive

Posted on December 9, 2015 by Wil Catlin

Credit: Boston Herald

Boylston Street in Boston’s Back Bay is expensive, but not too expensive. In the 2nd quarter of this year my company signed an expansion and renewal at 745 Boylston Street after conducting a thorough search for alternate options. We chose to stay and expand based on our attraction to the area’s amenities, proximity to highways and our customers.

Office rents on Boylston Street, however, do rank among the priciest in the country, according to the Boston Herald.

From the Boston Herald:

The Back Bay’s main thoroughfare has an average rent of $67.44 per square foot, thanks to its marquis office properties and tenant list dominated by hedge funds, and private equity and law firms, according to a report by Jones Lang LaSalle, a Chicago commercial real estate company…Those factors have allowed Boylston Street landlords to raise rents 1.3 times faster than on other cities’ most expensive streets since 2013, the JLL report states. And Boston Properties’ 888 Boylston St., a 17-story office tower set for completion next summer, already has signed record-high leases.

0 4 Class A Buildings in Boston Under Construction with At Least 50k Sq. Ft.

Posted on December 3, 2015 by Wil Catlin

According to CoStar, there are 4 Class A buildings under construction that can accommodate users of 50,000 square feet or more. They are located in the Seaport and Back Bay and have combined number of 1,610,202 square feet.

Building Address	Submarket Name	Number Of Stories	Rentable Building Area	Typical Floor Size	Max Floor Contiguous Space	Total Available Space (SF)
888 Boylston	Back Bay	17	425,000	25,000	26,170	89,173
100 Northern Ave	Seaport	17	395,202	23,247	32,006	154,931
140 Northern Ave	Seaport	13	375,000	30,769	28,846	374,998
121 Seaport Blvd	Seaport	17	415,000	24,412	34,400	414,202
Total			1,610,202

0 Back Bay Office Tower Approved by BRA

Posted on November 19, 2015 by Wil Catlin

Credit: Boston Globe

The BRA has given the green light for 625,000 square foot towner at 380 Stuart Street.

Banker&Tradesman reports, “the Boston Development Authority (BRA) board of directors approved four development projects totaling approximately $374.7 million at a recent meeting…John Hancock received approval to construct a new $350 million, 26-story office tower in Back Bay that will include a public lobby with restaurant and retail space, a roof deck and four levels of underground parking. The 625,000-square-foot tower on 380 Stuart St. will be home to a new signature office building for the company. The $350 million dollar project is expected to create 454 construction jobs.”

You can read more about the Back Bay development projects on B&T’s website, here.

0 Pedestrian Connector Omitted from final John Hancock Tower Proposal

Posted on November 4, 2015 by Wil Catlin

rendering of new John Hancock tower in Boston back bay

Credit: Boston Business Journal

The folks on the design teams of John Hancock’s new 26 story towers decide not to include the pedestrian bridge in their final plans. Do you feel the design for the top of the tower is too forward?

From the BBJ:

When John Hancock notified the city of its intent to build a 26-story tower at 380 Stuart St., a pedestrian connector linking the new tower and John Hancock’s existing office complex at 200 Berkeley St. was up for consideration…But on Tuesday evening, the project’s design team discussed the shaping of the tower and tapering it down to the ground, creating pedestrian walkways between Stuart and Stanhope streets as well as creating a rooftop terrace that could be rented for private functions. The pedestrian connector was not included in any of the design discussion…When asked about its whereabouts, the design team said: “The bridge is gone.”