0 $500M Copley Plan nears Completion

Posted on August 23, 2014 by Wil Catlin

Credit: Bisnow

Simon is finalizing their plans for Copley to bridge over the Pike.

Biznow reports, “the interior of the 625-foot residential tower—109 condos and 433 apartments—that will accompany 115K SF of new retail is still undefined. But ODA founder Eran Chen intends for it to be contemporary, international, and elegant to echo Boston’s strong economy, growing global cache, and reflect the unique site that straddles the historic Back Bay and South End. To create a new level of luxury living, the vast interior space will also be intimate and personal through the choice of materials and space configuration. The amenities will provide a “world of activities”: perhaps a spa, wine storage, private entertaining, and meeting rooms.”

Additional information on the Copley Place Plan, along with a sequence of images, can be found on Biznow.

0 Downtown Crossing Office Building at Filene’s Site Nears Opening

Posted on August 22, 2014 by Wil Catlin

old filenes buikding in downtown crossing office space

Credit: Betaboston

Downtown Crossing gets ready to welcome the new occupants of the Filene’s building: ad agency Havas.

Betaboston posted a first-look photo gallery, along with some details on the building’s design selections and interior motif:

“The four floors are connected by wide staircases, and Havas calls the space a “village,” since it will house employees of Arnold, Havas Public Relations, Havas Media, which handles online and offline media buying for clients, and several other teams. About 600 Havas employees move in on Monday. No one has private offices, and the 64 conference rooms are all named after departments of the old Filene’s store.”

0 Downtown Crossing Redevelopment Progresses: Roche Bros. Nears Opening

Posted on July 28, 2014 by Wil Catlin

office space in downtown crossing rendered

Credit: BBJ

The transformation of what was once the busiest pedestrian intersection in the city continues. Roche Brothers answers the call to fulfill the long awaited hope for Downtown Crossing.

From the Boston Business Journal:

“renovation of the 102-year-old property began a year ago. Its restoration is part of Millennium Partners’ $689 million redevelopment of the shuttered Filene’s site. Adjacent to the Burnham will be Millennium Tower, a 625-foot building comprised of 442 luxury residences above 95,000 square feet of additional retail space on its lower floors.”

0 Boston Harbor Towers: Rendering and Prospective View

Posted on July 28, 2014 by Wil Catlin

The new proposed look of Chiofaro’s Waterfront project was unveiled last night. What does a $1B 1.3milling square foot project look like? Well, like the envisioned Harbor Towers.

The Boston Globe offers a “rendering showing a view of the new Harbor Towers buildings from the harbor. The new buildings are at the center of the rendering, to the right of the existing Harbor Towers buildings”:

Credit: The Boston Globe

Continue on to the Globe’s website for additional photos of the view from the water, towards the Financial District.

0 Boston Roadways Lag Behind the Real Estate

Posted on June 27, 2014 by Wil Catlin

Credit: MassDOT

This major intersection was last updated 49 years ago on February 18, 1965. The requirements of our roadways are vastly different now and we need to take a proactive look toward the next 50 years as Boston and Cambridge continue to grow in both workforce and population.

Banker & Tradesman reports that “recently, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation convened a task force of about 50 members to advise the state on the redesign for the “Allston Interchange,” the spaghetti bowl of ramps and tollbooths in the middle of the rail yard adjacent to the Charles River and a neighborhood of houses and businesses.”

Additional information on the Allston Interchange is provided in the B&T article, here.

0 44 Luxury Condos to Line Greenway

Posted on June 23, 2014 by Wil Catlin

rendering of proposed luxury condos on the Boston Greenway

Credit: The Boston Herald

What do you want to see on the Greenway? Are you a fan of keeping the green space or providing more housing, retail and office. This plan calls for market condos and 4,000 RSF of retail space to be added to Boston’s Greenway .

From the Boston Herald:

“A Boston developer is looking to build a 12-story luxury condominium building to fill in one of the missing “teeth” facing the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway…Boston Residential Development’s plans for the estimated $40 million India Street project call for 44 condos and some 4,000 square feet of restaurant/retail space on a 7,100-square-foot site that’s now a small parking lot.

The condos would be a mix of one- to three-bedrooms from 600 square feet to 1,750 square feet.“

0 Boston Office Demand Remains Strong

Posted on June 17, 2014 by Wil Catlin

Credit: NAIOP

Our own Chris Sower participated in a panel discussion this morning in the Seaport for NAIOP. Demand showed little sign of letting up for office space in Boston through 2015. Tenant-in-the-market demand is up nearly 70 percent from 2012.

From Banker and Trandesman:

Greater Boston’s busy development scene shows little sign of slackening through 2015 with strong demand for commercial and multifamily properties, analysts predicted at an industry event Thursday. Tenants are in the market for 4.4 million square feet of office space in downtown Boston, an increase of 69 percent from 2012, said Rebecca Galeota, a senior vice president at Cassidy Turley. “The flight to urbanization only plays to the strengths of our city,” she said.

0 Marine Park’s Bronstein Center Targeted for Commercial Use

Posted on June 17, 2014 by Wil Catlin

Credit: Boston Business Journal

What does it take to convert a former munitions building to full commercial use?

Well, some history of the site according to Wikipedia. The Department of Defense purchases the site in 1920 and split it up between the Navy Annex and the South Boston Army Base. During World War II the site was used as a machine shop, power plant, barracks, dry dock warehouse.

Post World War II the annex was used to store ships and in 1074 the City purchased the site and it became the Boston Marine Industrial Park. As our city expand we need to accommodate more commercial use and less industrial use and Jamestown is looking for approvals to do so.

The Boston Business Journal reports, “last year, Jamestown Properties bought the Boston Design Center from Millennium Partners for $72.7 million and the adjacent Bronstein Center for $48 million. The 1.4-million-square-foot complex is located at 21, 23, and 25 Drydock Ave. at the far end of the Seaport District.”

Details on Marine Park and the potential commercial conversion, head over to the BBJ’s website.

0 Smart Parking Meters Coming to Boston

Posted on June 17, 2014 by Wil Catlin

Credit: Boston Globe

Do you have a $10 roll of quarters in your car for the City of Boston parking meters? If not, you’re not alone. Boston’s new app would take the place of change and allow you to pay with your smart phone.

According to the Boston Globe, “the city’s Transportation Department is developing a smartphone application that would eliminate the scramble for cash, by using an iPhone, Android, or BlackBerry to pay for a metered parking slot. ‘Two things people have in their pockets: They have a credit card. And they have a cellphone,” interim Transportation Commissioner James Gillooly said. “We aspire to have everybody use a credit card or pay by phone.'”

Additional details on Boston’s smart parking initiative, jump over to the Boston Globe’s website.

0 212 Stuart Street in Bay Village: Demolition, then Condos

Posted on June 6, 2014 by Wil Catlin

Stuart street office and retail space in Boston's Bay Village

Credit: Boston Business Journal

What is the status of 212 Stuart Street? It is scheduled to be raised and a new 18-unit condominium building will take its place.

The Boston Business Journal is reporting that “the 10,000-square-foot brick building at 212 Stuart St. will be demolished, beginning today. In an email to its members, the neighborhood group said demolition work is expected to take place over the next eight weeks. The property’s owner, Boston’s Revere Hotel, notified the neighbors this week that it secured the necessary demolition permits from the city’s inspectional services department.”

More information is available on the demolition of 212 Stuart St, jump over to the BBJ’s website.