Category Archives: Office Space on Boston Harbor

0 Cape Air targets Boston’s Long Wharf as a seaplane docking spot

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Seaplanes are making waves in Boston.  Boston Harbor last saw seaplanes in the 1940’s and as the congestion continues worsen it appears they will be making a comeback for trips to NYC.

Cape Air targets Boston’s Long Wharf as a seaplane docking spot

The Boston skyline is viewed from Long Wharf.
GARY HIGGINS

By   – Real Estate Editor, Boston Business Journal | 

 

Cape Air has its eyes on a new location on Boston Harbor to launch its long-planned seaplane service between Boston and New York: Long Wharf.

Officials from the Hyannis-based airline will host a public meeting Wednesday, Dec. 18 at the Long Wharf Marriott to discuss “a proposal to serve Boston Waterboat Marina, 66 Long Wharf, with a 9-seat seaplane airline service available to the public.”

Andrew Bonney, senior vice president of planning for Cape Air, said in an interview that the airline has worked with officials including the Federal Aviation Administration, the U.S. Coast Guard and the Boston Planning and Development Agency regarding launching a Cessna Caravan Amphibian between Boston and New York.

Cape Air flights would load at the tip of Long Wharf before taxiing one mile out to Boston Logan International Airport’s Runway 1432 and taking off, Bonney said. The flights would use the same spot for landing.

Before the service can launch, Cape Air would need to obtain a license amendment from the BPDA, which owns Long Wharf.

“The BPDA has asked Cape Air to conduct a community process, including stakeholder outreach, about their proposal for Long Wharf before anything can move forward,” spokesperson Bonnie McGilpin said in a statement. “If there is support for the proposal, BPDA would need to amend the license for Long Wharf to reflect these uses and that would require approval by the BPDA Board.”

If Cape Air receives the city license amendment and other federal regulatory requirements, Bonney hopes to launch by springtime.

A one-way flight would cost between $320 and $340 to travel the 191 miles between the two cities, according to Bonney. Traveling by plane or train from Boston to New York typically takes around three and a half hours, while a seaplane can go downtown to downtown in one hour, he said.

In the 1920s, seaplanes going between Boston and New York would dock behind South Station. But seaplane service hasn’t existed in Boston since the 1940s.

“We think it’s really exciting to be able to bring back this mode of transportation to the city of Boston,” Bonney said.

Catherine Carlock can be reached at ccarlock@bizjournals.com. Follow her on Twitter at @BosBizCatherine 

0 Spec Office Construction Coming to Boston

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Boston Spec SuitesSpec office construction is coming to Boston In 2015 – for who?  Well, not for the smaller companies, their footprint would be far smaller than the new construction Class A can accommodate.  The recent 4 quarters has seen a tremendous migration to the Financial District from the Seaport and East Cambridge for the value oriented office tenant.  Rent within the Class B market still fall within the mid to upper $30’s per square foot.

Banker & Tradesman offers some perspective on the market shift in downtown Boston, noting “the office market continues to recover from the 2008 downturn because of an expanding tech sector and relocations of companies from Cambridge and the suburbs. Recent acquisitions of trophy office towers in Boston and Cambridge reflect the continuing interest of foreign investors seeking higher yields than government bonds, panelists said. In 2015, office investment sales are expected to slow, but overseas investors will continue to put money to work in Greater Boston, said Jessica Hughes, a managing director for JLL.”

You can read the B&T report, here, or check out our analysis of Boston Spec Suites.

0 Boston Harbor Garage Towers Discussion Continues

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Rendering of the proposed towers at Boston Harbor Garage

Credit: Bostinno/Streetwise

How many towers can the 1.3 acre site on the waterfront support?

Graphic renderings of the proposed Boston Harbor Garage towers were recently unveiled; the towers would replace the Harbor Garage on India Street.

From Banker & Tradesman:

“‘They told us that being allowed to build that much would be considered a valuable business opportunity by any experienced developer,’ Lee Kozol, chair of the Harbor Towers Garage committee, said in a statement. The economic analysis has been submitted to the Boston Redevelopment Authority, which is reviewing conceptual plans for the project…for the project to go forward in its current form, the BRA would have to waive maximum height and minimum open space limits for waterfront developments.”