0 High Speed Rail Proposed from Springfield to Boston

Posted on January 30, 2014 by Wil Catlin

Credit: MIT.edu

As our city grows, the cost of real estate continues northward. This problem has tremendous reverberation as employees try to find housing that’s in-line with their earnings. The introduction of a high-speed rail to Springfield could foster a new workforce for Boston.

According to a report in the BBJ, a significant build and overhaul of existing transit systems would be necessary for the new rail system:

“the east-west and north-south routes [would] total 470 miles, and the project could require $364.5 million. The initiative would work with other separate rail projects, including the $78 million rehabilitation of Springfield’s Union Station underway now.”

The full article is available on the Boston Business Journal’s website.

0 Sullivan Square Up Next?

Posted on January 24, 2014 by Wil Catlin

Credit: Flickr

As rents continue to drive Northward and vacancy drops, Boston’s office market will seek new areas for expansion; Sullivan Square could be next on the list.

An article on Banker and Tradesman recently suggested that Sullivan Square would be well-served by a major overhaul:

“Rutherford Avenue is atrocious coming through right now,” said Peter Bekarian, an executive vice president at commercial real estate brokerage Jones Lang LaSalle. “It’s an under-improved industrial area that could stand to benefit exponentially (from redevelopment).”

The B&T article examines the potential of the area, and opportunity for development around the Orange Line.

0 Mixed-Use Office Buildings Remain Popular in Boston

Posted on January 24, 2014 by Wil Catlin

Credit: Banker & Tradesman

For Boston’s Central Business District, 2014 with be similar to 2013. Continued rent growth in the Class A and B office market with office vacancy continuing to decline. Mixed-use office space should also be front-and-center.

From Banker and Tradesman:

“Most urban projects that are on the drawing pad today have some mixed-use component, even if it’s just ground-floor retail,” said Shawn Hurley, executive vice president for Skanska USA Commercial Development in Boston. “That is reflective of the desire to strengthen the urban nature of these buildings, with pedestrian access and activity along the streets.”

The complete, related B&T article can be found, here.

0 The Block on Congress Reinvented

Posted on January 8, 2014 by Wil Catlin

Credit: Boston Herald

An era gone by, no longer will the Fidelity sign hang at 82 Devonshire Street. Related Beal acquired the 343,000 square foot portfolio and is in the process of reviewing plans to revitalize the retail storefronts. Boston developer Related Beal has acquired a five-building portfolio in the Financial District from Fidelity Investments with plans to upgrade its office and retail space.

Stephen Faber, executive vice president of Related Beal, commented on the opportunity in an article on Banker & Tradesman’s website:

“Rarely do you have the opportunity to reposition and reinvent an entire city block, especially one in the heart of downtown Boston,”

The full article is available, here.

0 Boutique Buildings Growing in Boston

Posted on December 18, 2013 by Wil Catlin

Not all new construction project are towers. Some are boutique buildings designed to blend into their surroundings and fit on a much smaller footprint.

A boutique building recently highlighted on the Boston Herald’s website is Zero Farnsworth. The Herald notes, “in a smaller-scale building you can pay much more attention to the quality of the design and the details,” said Damian Szary, a principal at Boston-based Redgate Real Estate Advisors, whose Gate Residential unit is developing a nine-story condo complex along Congress and Farnsworth streets in the booming Seaport District. With its floor-to-ceiling glass windows all around, Zero Farnsworth will be strikingly contemporary in an area of brick warehouses.”

The full Herald article is available on BostonHerald.com.

0 TD Garden Project a Go

Posted on December 11, 2013 by Wil Catlin

Rendering of the proposed renovation at the TD Garden

Credit: Boston Business Journal

Our outgoing mayor and Boston Properties have struck a deal on the TD Garden project.

According to an article on the Boston Business Journal, “the Menino administration is set to announce that they have reached an agreement with Boston Properties and Delaware North Cos. to allow construction of a 45-story residential tower near North Station and provide a lucrative tax break to support the $1 billion development.”

Full details are available in the original article on the BBJ.

0 TD Garden Project Awaits Resolution

Posted on December 4, 2013 by Wil Catlin

Credit: Boston Business Journal

The changing of the guard may have already begun in the corner office at city hall. It will be interesting to see the outcome of the vote on December 19th by the BRA on a 1.8-million square-foot project around the TD Garden.

According to the Boston Business Journal, “Menino has bristled at suggestions from mayor-elect Walsh and former mayoral candidate John Connolly that the BRA lacks transparency. But the administration’s unwillingness to talk about the negotiations or even allow members of the mayor-appointed Boston Garden Impact Advisory Group participate in the talks has raised questions about what is happening behind closed doors.”

Additional information on the ‘compromise’ is available on the BBJ’s website.

0 Office Design: Trend to Traditional Aesthetics Favor Open Layouts

Posted on November 25, 2013 by Wil Catlin

Interior of 312-316 Stuart Street office space in in Boston

What does your office look like? Are you working within an open plan or a private office model?

Banker & Tradesman describes the contemporary office motif, which “often comprise one or two wide open spaces with desks or tables that, at the most, have cubicles a seated employee can see over into his or her neighbor’s cubicle…Often, the spaces resemble a trading floor, sometimes hectic, sometimes measured in its activity. Along its edges or at the ends of the rooms are shared conference rooms, beside which smaller private rooms can offer a mostly soundproof space for personal phone calls or meditation. These kinds of spaces have very few private offices, if any, even for the company’s executive team. And many times those conference rooms and the desks provided are empty since mobile technology allows workers to do their jobs at home or on the road.”

This scene, described by Banker & Tradesman, is growing application and increasing in appeal. The full article can be found on B&T’s website.

0 BRA Approves $2.3B in New Projects

Posted on November 20, 2013 by Wil Catlin

BRA approves new projects in downtown Boston

Credit: Boston Business Journal

So what does $2.3B look like in the City of Boston? We’ll soon find out. The BRA has just approved seven new projects collectively totaling $2.3 billion.

The Boston Business Journal published a gallery showcasing each of the seven projects. You can view the gallery via the following link: BBJ Slide Show.

0 Update on the Callahan Tunnel’s Impending Closure

Posted on November 20, 2013 by Wil Catlin

Credit: BBJ

What makes Boston perfect for the business traveler? Well, I for one have spent many hours commuting from airports to the cities they serve. Boston is different; our airport is in our city and just a short cab ride or a couple of stops on the Blue Line. The Callahan Tunnel — a core path to Logan airport — was opened in 1961 and like all infrastructure, needs maintenance. The tunnel is scheduled to close on December 27th and reopen on March 12th.

Details on the tunnel’s modifications were posted on the Boston Business Journal:

The DOT awarded McCourt Construction a $19 million contract in August for the project. During the time the tunnel is shut completely, the project will mainly involve demolishing and rebuilding the roadway and deck through the tunnel. East Boston-bound traffic will be redirected to the Ted Williams, the Tobin Bridge, or Route 16 in Everett. That third option involves plenty of intersections along the way to Route 1A. So DOT will upgrade traffic signal equipment at 20 spots, primarily along Route 16.

The full BBJ article is available on the Bizjournals website

Did you know that the tunnel was named for the son of Turnpike chairman William F. Callahan, who was killed in Italy just days before the end of World War II.