0 BXBS of Massachusetts Moves to 101 Huntington Ave

Posted on June 16, 2015 by Wil Catlin

Credit: Boston Business Journal

Gone are the tall private cubes, now, contemporary office space is much more open and collaborative with bright colors. Healthcare in particular has gone through a tremendous transformation over the year. One of the most visible changes is how they use their office space. BXBS is showing off their new headquarters at 101 Huntington Avenue owner by Boston Properties.

According to a post on the BBJ, accompanying a slideshow of the new Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts HQ, the new space “takes up the 11th through the 20th floors of the building, with the exception of the utility floor on the 14th floor. The new space is 60,000 square feet smaller than its previous space — clocking in at 308,000 square feet and will save the insurer $2 million annually…The space has also been renovated to have the signature white and blue color scheme throughout. The color scheme mixed with bright LED lights give the headquarters a futuristic feel.”

Follow the link to view the BBJ’s full office slideshow.

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0 Newest Fan Pier Tower Renderings Released

Posted on April 29, 2015 by Wil Catlin

Credit: Banker and Tradesman

What will the next piece of Fallon Co’s project look like? Designs have been released according to the plans submitted by Elkus Manfredi Architects.

From Banker&Tradesman:

City officials are reviewing designs for 50 Liberty Drive, a 14-story complex on the South Boston waterfront. The L-shaped condo tower would be built on parcel D, which sits directly east of the 109-unit Twenty Two Liberty condo tower now under construction. The new building would include 15,000 square feet of civic and retail space, including areas used by the New England Aquarium, Boston Children’s Museum and the Boston Harbor Island Alliance.

The 21-acre Fan Pier project will contain up to 3 million square feet of mixed-use development. The Boston Fan Pier development, a 252,000-square-foot condo tower, is expected to break ground in late summer.

0 115 Winthrop Square Considered for Boston’s Second-Tallest Building

Posted on April 27, 2015 by Wil Catlin

Credit: Banker&Tradesman

The Boston skyline is poised to see significant change of the next five years as projects that are under construction come online. 115 Winthrop Square is getting attention and might be home to Boston’s second tallest building if O’Brien has anything to do with it.

According to Banker&Tradesman, “developer Thomas O’Brien of Boston-based HYM Investments is proposing a 69-story, 780-foot-tall residential tower that would become the city’s second-tallest building, just 10 feet shy of the Hancock Tower…O’Brien was one of eight developers who submitted proposals to build a skyscraper in the Financial District. The Boston Redevelopment Authority sought proposals for a one-acre parcel currently occupied by the municipal garage at 115 Winthrop Square. O’Brien’s plan calls for a substantial redevelopment of the square, including a new Boston public school and a relocated St. Anthony Shrine, friary and ministry center. Under the O’Brien proposal, the church properties and school would be built on the former garage site and a residential tower with 11,000-square-foot floor plates would be built on the former shrine property.”

The HYM Investment Group can be seen, here.

0 B.Good Executives Among Boston’s Shared Office Space Aficionados

Posted on March 10, 2015 by Wil Catlin

shared office space on Newbury Street in Boston

Credit: Boston Globe

What types of business use shared workspaces? Well, the cofounder of b.good is an avid user of Oficio on Newbury Street.

“Jon Olinto, cofounder of the restaurant chain b.good and [his] b.good cofounder Anthony Ackil, his childhood best friend, hold job interviews and meetings in conference rooms at Oficio, which runs two shared office spaces on Newbury Street. About 350 entrepreneurs and companies rent space at Oficio, paying anywhere from $69 a month to use the mailing address to $2,300 a month for a dedicated office for a team of eight workers, with 24/7 access. Oficio provides lunch about once a week, hosts networking events, and schedules guest speakers, such as accountants, to talk about the basics of running a business,” according to a Boston Globe article.

You can read the full Globe article, here. Alternatively, you can use our resources for more information on shared workspaces in Boston.

0 Back Bay and North Station May Get New Office Towers

Posted on February 11, 2015 by Wil Catlin

Credit: B&T

Boston Properties is moving forward with 2 major projects located at 2 transportation hubs. Back Bay Station is the proposed spot of a new tower development, while North Station will benefit from the same.

From Banker and Tradesman:

The real estate investment trust said this morning it has entered a joint venture to acquire the air rights for the 377,000-square-foot initial phase of the North Station redevelopment. It also has signed a 44-year extension on its lease for the Clarendon Street parking garage with the state Department of Transportation, part of a larger proposal to build two towers containing offices, residences and retail above Back Bay Station. As part of the agreement, Boston Properties will take over management of the renovated station, which serves the Orange Line subway and several commuter rail lines.

0 What will it cost me to move into my new office space?

Posted on November 6, 2014 by Wil Catlin

Humboldt moving, logo What would it cost to move your company from Downtown Crossing in the Financial District to the Seaport? Let’s assume you are in 3,600 rentable square feet and moving into something similar.

According to Humboldt Moving and Storage, you can use the following as a guide:

• The cost per square foot would be $3.00 + for an average, and it is usually + on a commercial office move.
• This does not include packing, crating, panel systems, or any special services.
• Tenants will usually perform their own packing. Rental crates will average around $5.00 each. Figure 3-6 crates per person. Legal and accounting firms will require more due to paper record keeping.
• Workstations will usually run $200 plus each to disassemble and reassemble.
• Based on a 25 person office with 20 workstations your move would cost $15,300.00 or $4.25 per square foot.

0 Faneuil Hall and Quincy Market: Marked for an Overhaul

Posted on November 6, 2014 by Wil Catlin

Faneuil hall and quicy market in downtown boston

Credit: ABCNews

Faneuil Hall is set for change. Ashkenazy Acquisition Corp will be looking to convert some of the office space to a boutique hotel in the South Market Building.

From ABCNews:

“Quincy Market, the granite-columned marketplace just behind red-brick Faneuil Hall, is part of one of the world’s top tourist destinations, attracting visitors seeking a taste of revolutionary history and a cup of New England clam chowder…after four decades, the market’s operator says Quincy Market — along with the two brick buildings along either side that house office space and retail chains — is past due for an overhaul.”

“Among its early plans are transforming existing office space in the South Market building into a new, 180-room boutique hotel; installing the Japanese clothing retailer Uniqlo on the top floor of Quincy Market; and redesigning the building’s crowded food court with more open space, sit-down restaurants and, possibly, moveable bars. Along the marketplace’s familiar cobblestone paths, the company wants to possibly introduce ping pong tables, shuffleboard and performance spaces for live music and poetry and book readings.“

0 Defining Boston’s Seaport District

Posted on November 6, 2014 by Wil Catlin

Credit: BBJ

The Seaport, formerly known as the South Boston Waterfront has not only evolved, but arrived. Interestingly it is not as clearly defined geographically as one might think. One border is the Fort Point Channel and another is Boston Harbor. Beyond that, it is up to some interpretation.

According to CoStar, the border continues to West 2nd Street and East 2nd Street. The core of the Seaport in my opinion consists of: Summer Street, Congress Street and Seaport Boulevard and the various intersecting streets. The Boston Design Center, Convention Center and Wormwood Street would also be included.

The Boston Business Journal quantifies the growth, noting, the Seaport District “already has a population bigger than Beacon Hill’s, and more radical change is on the short-term horizon. Some of the region’s most experienced developers are pushing forward projects that within three years should create more than 2,500 housing units. City planners see another doubling in housing stock, to 10,000 units, by 2030.

0 Office Space Boom in Boston Area Suburbs

Posted on October 26, 2014 by Wil Catlin

new office building in Needham for TripAdvisor

Credit: Boston Globe

The greater Boston economy is strong with jobs, construction and capital. Many office users are seeking value while trying to straddle the live-work-play model for their staff. Not every company can be located within a five-minute walk of South Station, nor can they offer free parking to their employees. What we are seeing is locations that offer infrastructure, reap the benefits of today’s strong office market.

A recent Boston Globe article remarked, “the western suburbs around Route 128 are experiencing a building boom, with new headquarters for growing companies such as TripAdvisor and Vistaprint among five huge developments under construction in Needham, Waltham, and neighboring towns…The attractions of the suburbs include much lower rents and lots of choices. Moreover, the workspaces — either new or newly renovated — are far from the souless corporate boxes of the 1980s that dotted the suburban landscape. The interiors of some new offices look as if they could comfortably fit along Seaport Boulevard in Boston or Broadway in Cambridge.”

Jump over to the Globe’s website for its full article.

0 North Station Tower Complex: Construction Set to Begin Oct. 27

Posted on October 20, 2014 by Wil Catlin

Credit: Boston Globe

North Station’s first new tower is set to break grown. This will add 688,550 rentable square of office and retail.

From Banker & Tradesman:

“The first leg of the 1.9-million-square-foot North Station tower complex, one of Boston’s biggest mixed-use developments, is set to begin construction.
AvalonBay Communities will break ground Oct. 27 on Avalon North Station, a 38-story apartment tower located between the TD Garden and Nashua Street. The project was approved by city regulators in 2013. Plans call for 497 apartments in a 636,550-square-foot structure…The complex also will contain a 306-room hotel, 668,000 square feet of office space, restaurants and retail space including a supermarket. Developers received a $7.8-million, 15-year tax break from the administration of former Boston Mayor Thomas Menino.”