0 Marty Walsh would put City Hall up for Sale

Posted on September 18, 2013 by Wil Catlin

Credit: Boston Business Journal

So, politics aside should the city sell city hall for redevelopment? Personally I am in favor of this and not simply based on economics. The standards that are available in the construction industry far surpass available options of ‘67, how we use space has evolved, and we have learned to do more with less.

The mayoral race seems to still be very crowded, but this got my attention.

The Boston Business Journal reported, “State Rep. Martin Walsh, a candidate for Boston mayor, wants to sell Boston’s City Hall to a private developer – who would presumably bulldoze the much-maligned structure and its underused, adjacent plaza in favor of hotels, apartments and retail development.”

Walsh spoke with the Boston Herald and noted, “You could put a hotel boutique here. You could put a full hotel here. You could have an office building. You could put so much in this area…we could have shops … that would fit in with Faneuil Hall Marketplace.”

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Boston Office Space for Lease

0 Mayor Menino’s Departure to Impact Boston Real Estate

Posted on July 13, 2013 by Wil Catlin

Credit: Twitter.com @mayortommenino

Should we expect the new mayor of Boston address commercial development differently in the city? YES. We can agree or disagree with Mayor Menino, but change is coming.

The Boston Business Journal alluded to the prospective impact of Mayor Thomas M. Menino’s departure on the Boston real estate market:

“developers are salivating at the prospect that a new mayor will jump-start stalled projects that have been shunned by Mayor Thomas M. Menino…a handful of proposed commercial real estate projects have faced roadblocks at City Hall…But all that could change in January when Menino retires, a move that could also lead to changes at the top of the Boston Redevelopment Authority.”

You can read the full article on the Boston Business Journal’s website.

0 Brighton Commuter Rail Station Receives Approval

Posted on May 16, 2013 by Wil Catlin

Office Building at 1330 Boylston St.

How do you get to work? Would you take public transportation if it stopped close to your home or office? Do you select office space based on its proximity to North or South Station?

A Boston Business Journal article reports that the station development is heavily influenced by New Balance’s proposed corporate world headquarters, “the station would be built next to New Balance’s proposed $235 million corporate world headquarters. As mitigation for the 1.4 million-square-foot mixed-use development, the sneaker giant has agreed to cover the cost to design, build and maintain the station. The plan received initial approval from the Massachusetts Department of Transportation’s Finance Committee on Tuesday. A vote of the full board will take place next week.”

For additional information on the station and New Balance’s new development, jump over to the BBJ’s article here: Commuter Rail Approved in Brighton

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Office Space for Lease in Allston and Brighton

0 Fidelity Puts Four Boston Office Properties Up for Sale

Posted on March 19, 2013 by Wil Catlin

office building at 82 devonshire street in Boston financial district

Photo Credit: Boston Herald

Will the Financial District be home to a new office tower? There is some speculation that the headquarters of Fidelity will be raised to make way for new construction.

Banker & Tradesman is reporting, “the real estate arm of Boston-based Fidelity Investments is putting four Boston office properties and a small land parcel in the city’s Financial District on the shopping block. The contiguous block of assets totals 343,000 square feet of space and includes 82 and 68 Devonshire St., 19 and 15 Congress St., and the land parcel at 54 Devonshire St.”

Details on the potential redevelopment site are available on the Banker & Tradesman website.

0 New Construction Yields Jobs in Boston

Posted on March 18, 2013 by Wil Catlin

Jobs, Jobs and more Jobs. The construction industry is in the midst of a very strong rebound from recent years. As you drive around Boston, you’ll notice the skyline littered with construction cranes from the Seaport to Back Bay; that means the once soft construction industry is on a frantic pace to keep up with the supply of new office buildings and residential communities.

A Banker & Tradesman editorial examining the economic impact of the construction boom, indicates that it has “pushed general contractors and builders across the Greater Boston region to increase their ranks with project and assistant project managers, superintendents and business development professionals.”

B&T subscribers can read the complete article on the building surge.

Alternatively, you can jump over to BostonOfficeSpaces to view all available commercial real estate in Boston, or office listings in Cambridge.

0 Back Bay Air Rights Project a Go on Parcels 12 & 15

Posted on March 7, 2013 by Wil Catlin

Photo Credit: MA Transportation Blog

So where is Parcels 12 and 15? They are located above and along Interstate 90 at the intersection of Boylston Street and Massachusetts Avenue in Boston’s Back Bay. In time Boston will continue to see projects like this bridge neighborhoods together that have been separated by our roadways.

An editorial in yesterday’s Boston Business Journal states, “the Massachusetts Department of Transportation has selected a joint venture of Samuels & Associates and Weiner Ventures to build an air rights development on Parcels 12 and 15…on Parcel 15, a 400-foot high-rise hotel and residential building will be set back from Boylston Street, with a low-rise retail building along the street. On Parcel 12, a mid-rise residential building will be located on Boylston Street and a two-floor retail building will cross the Turnpike along Massachusetts Avenue. The project will create 230 apartments, a 270-room hotel and 50,000 square feet of retail space.”

Follow this link to the BBJ for their complete coverage, or jump over to the MA transportation blog for its official posting.

0 Marine Industrial Park to House New Spec Building

Posted on February 26, 2013 by Wil Catlin

6 Tide Street in Boston's Industrial Park

Photo Credit: Boston Business Journal

As rents have continued to rise and vacancy has dropped, landlords are becoming more bullish on the office market future. Spec buildings, previously considered a thing of the past due to the high cost of construction (compared to the cost of renovating an existing structure) are reemerging in the Hub’s commercial landscape with a new addition to Boston’s marine industrial park.

The Boston Business Journal reported, “Danvers-based Kavanagh Advisory Group is expected to break ground by year’s end on the first new building in six years on the eastern edge of the Hub’s Innovation District.”

Details on the spec building are available on the BBJ’s coverage of the new development at Marine Industrial Park.

0 Leasing Agreement and Construction Activity at Filene’s Site

Posted on January 31, 2013 by Wil Catlin

Construction site at Filene's in downtown Boston

Photo Credit: Boston Globe

The stock market recently closed at levels just above the market high of December 2007, which points to our national recovery. Locally, the hole in the ground — formerly known as Filene’s in Downtown Crossing — should soon be filled in, as our economy continues to grow out of the hole created in 2008.

The Boston Globe notes the importance of the hub landmark, “the Filene’s redevelopment is crucial to the broader campaign of revitalizing downtown Boston and its shopping district. Positioned at the center of Downtown Crossing, it would bring an influx of new residents and stores to an area that has just begun to shrug off a reputation as a second-rate retail destination.”

Jump over to the Boston Globe for more information on the impending leasing agreement and restart of construction at Filene’s. Alternatively, click through to view office space for lease in the downtown area.

0 131 Clarendon Street Renovation Complete

Posted on January 30, 2013 by Wil Catlin

Photo Credit: Banker & Tradesman

Brookline Bank’s newest location at 131 Clarendon Street is open for business. The building is now 100 percent leased in an office market with near record low vacancies.

Additional details on the Back Bay restoration project can be found in Banker & Tradesman’s complete coverage.

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Back Bay Office Space

0 Boston’s New Developments Showcased on the BBJ

Posted on January 30, 2013 by Wil Catlin

Kensington apartment building on washington street in boston

Photo Credit: Boston Business Journal

Nine new Boston development projects are scheduled to open in 2013 and the calendar is filling up with 2014 openings as well. Our city landscape is changing with new residential communities and office buildings.

The Boston Business Journal posted a preview of the upcoming buildings in a slide show, here.