0 Back Bay Towers Proposed at Christian Science Plaza

Posted on June 19, 2013 by Wil Catlin

Christian Science Church in Boston's Back Bay

Photo Credit: Boston Business Journal

The Back Bay skyline is poised to change yet again with the plans filed for a 1 million square foot development at the Christian Science Church.

Details of the plans filed were posted on the BBJ:

“the church has proposed a pair of towers at Belvidere and Dalton streets that will include a 712,500-square-foot hotel and condominium skyscraper at 691 feet. At 14 feet per floor, that would be about 49 stories, slightly shorter than the Prudential tower’s 52 floors. A second mid-rise would be a 237,500-square-foot apartment building at 285 feet. At 12 feet per floor, it would be about 24 stories. The project will also include a 4,300-square-foot park and an unspecified amount of ground floor retail.”

The complete article is available on the BBJ’s website, here.

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0 Office Space Interiors Adopting Hybrid Atmosphere

Posted on June 15, 2013 by Wil Catlin

Photo Credit: The Washington Post

Given the influx of new companies into Boston office space, architects and contractors have been busy. What we see today for newly fit spaces differs greatly from what we saw 10 years ago; companies want to create collaborative work environments with maximum efficiency.

Some do it more creatively than others. For instance, an article on The Washington Post references the Fuse Project’s ‘Public Office Landscape’ aesthetic by Yves Béhar:

“the design looks more like a modern coffee house in some ways than an office layout, combining bench seating and cafe tables with traditional office chairs and desks. Given the growing number of coffee-house denizens armed with laptops, they appear to be on to something. The design also does away with the traditional, closed-off meeting room, opting for more collaborative environments.”

You can check out a full image gallery on the Fuse Project blog

0 Boston Office Vacancies Decreasing in Majority of Markets

Posted on June 15, 2013 by Wil Catlin

Tenants that are in the market flock to value; over the last four quarters that value play has been the Financial District. As those vacancies have been eroded, rents have pushed upward. What will this mean tomorrow and beyond? Those tenants that signed leases three plus years ago in the now tight and expensive Seaport Market will seek value options elsewhere if they feel that low $40’s rents for Class B is too much to burden in the Seaport.   Markets that have benefited and that will continue to do so are Mid Town and North Station.

A post on the Boston Business Journal notes that Back Bay is lagging behind its neighboring submarkets:

“‘the only market where there has been an increase in vacancies is in the Back Bay…there continues to be uncertainly in the city’s most expensive office market with State Street Corp. downsizing considerably, [Debra Gould, a broker at Cushman & Wakefield] said. “They also have 400,000 square feet in Copley and it’s still not clear what will happen to that space … and obviously they are vacating the low-rise portion of the John Hancock Tower and there are price concerns … activity in the Back Bay will be slow.'”

You can read the full BBJ article, here.

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0 Government Center Development Would Reshape Skyline

Posted on June 12, 2013 by Wil Catlin

Will the architecture in the 1960’s era of Government Center move to the wrecking ball? Yes, it seems that the Government Center Garage will be replaced with a new mixed use development.

According to Banker and Tradesman, “the Government Center proposal includes six buildings varying in height from 600 to 60 feet. Once the proposed project is complete, the garage, sitting on approximately 4.8 acres, would be transformed into a mix of 771 apartments and condos, 1.3 million square feet of office space, 82,500 square feet of retail and restaurant space and 204 hotel rooms.”

Office rents are up and supply is down; residential housing is commanding strong numbers on both the sale and lease fronts. Now is the time.

You can view the full B&T article, here

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0 Poll: Can Bikes & Cars Share Boston’s Roads?

Posted on May 29, 2013 by Wil Catlin

Yes they can! The city already has a tremendous amount of bikes already on the roadways, but drivers and bikes riders need to obey the same set of laws. Not only do we have cars running reds lights, but we have cyclists doing the same thing. So, enforcing the laws we have in place would help to create safer roadways cars and bikes along more with bike lanes.

A BBJ poll showed mixed results: Can bikes and cars share the roads in Boston?

Yes. It’s better for traffic and the environment. 18%

No. The roads are too narrow in the city. 38%

Perhaps. But drivers and bicyclists must be more aware. 44%

Follow the link to vote on the Boston Business Journal poll.

0 Seaport Innovation Center Opening in June

Posted on May 29, 2013 by Wil Catlin

rendering of the Seaport Innovation Center

Photo Credit: Boston.com

The Seaport/Innovation area or district has an opening in June that serves food and beverages, but won’t be on Zagat’s list. The Innovation Center has been created for startups to have an place outside of their garage or apartments to move their idea to the next step.

The Boston Business Journal reports, “the one-story facility designed by Boston architect David Hacin is the first sign of life within the 23-acre Seaport Square mixed-use development being developed by John Hynes’ company Boston Global Investors and Morgan Stanley. When completed the project will a feature 6.3-million-square-foot neighborhood with apartments, offices, shops, a hotel and parks.”

For further details on the opening of the Seaport Innovation Center, follow the link to the BBJ

0 BBJ’s Best in Boston Real Estate Awards

Posted on May 29, 2013 by Wil Catlin

Photo Credit: Boston Business Journal

What, another awards show? Well, no, the BBJ is recognizing projects within Boston Market that a stand out within their sectors. The Seaport submarket was the recipient of two: Visionary Award and Office Award.

To view images from the event, continue on to the Boston Business Journal.

0 Fidelity to Sell Boston Coach

Posted on May 29, 2013 by Wil Catlin

Photo Credit: Boston Coach

Do you Uber, hail a cab to schedule a car service when going to Logan Airport or appointments in Boston? Since Ned Johnson founded Boston Coach some 28 years ago, much has changed in how we procure our transportation, but little has changed about our transportation itself. What will be the next innovation?

According to an article on the Boston Globe, “the Boston-based mutual fund giant said it is selling the company to Harrison Global of Waltham, an owner of chauffeured limousines, car services, and taxis. Fidelity said Harrison intends to retain BostonCoach’s headquarters in Everett, as well as its drivers and other employees, numbering more than 560 nationally. BostonCoach employs about 275 people in Massachusetts.”

To read more about the sale of Boston Coach by Fidelity, continue on to The Boston Globe.

0 Twin Towers Proposed at TD Garden

Posted on May 17, 2013 by Wil Catlin

Rendering of proposed towers at TD Garden in Boston

Photo Credit: Boston Redevelopment Authority (via BBJ)

The North Station submarket area could be home to more than our beloved Celtic and Bruins. This project would bring more than just sports fans to the area, it would add 1.7 million square feet of office, retail, and residential space to that area.

According to a Boston Business Journal report, “a joint venture of Boston Properties and Delaware North Cos. have filed plans to build a pair of office and residential towers on Causeway Street next to the MBTA’s North Station…the 1.7-million-square-foot mixed-use development to be built on a 3-acre parcel will feature up to 300,000 square feet of multi-story retail space, 500 residential units in a 600,000-square-foot tower, a 200-room hotel, an office tower containing 600,000 square feet of Class A office space and 800 underground parking spaces.”

To read the full article, continue on to the Boston Business Journal online.

0 Fenway Center Project Cleared

Posted on May 14, 2013 by Wil Catlin

Rendering of the Fenway Center project in Boston

Photo Credit: Boston Globe

Projects that seems only to be dreams in years past are moving forward to reality. The Fenway Center development will bring a 27 story office and retail complex along with 550 apartments to the area along the turnpike.

According to a Boston Globe article, “Governor Deval Patrick’s administration has struck a deal to allow construction of Fenway Center, a $500 million mega-development in Boston that would transform scrubby parking lots near the storied ballpark into a bustling complex of homes, stores, offices, and parking.”

To read the full article, continue on to the Boston Globe online.

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