0 Downtown Crossing gets a Taste of France

Posted on June 2, 2015 by Wil Catlin

Baked goods have a new meaning at 1 Boston Place. The 126 year old firm knows a thing or two about macaroons and croissants.

French Restaurant in downtown crossing Boston

Credit: Boston Business Journal

The Boston Business Journal notes, “Paul, a 126-year-old French bakery, is officially opening its Downtown Crossing location at 201 Washington St…The Downtown Crossing location will have a full-service restaurant — a first for the 126-year-old bakery — inside and out on the 50-seat terrace at One Boston Place.”

You can read more about Paul, the newest French restaurant to grace the hub, on the BBJ.

0 Milk Street Lands Japan’s Ogawa Coffee

Posted on May 7, 2015 by Wil Catlin

Credit: Eater

The coffee situation is changing on Milk Street and with be the first U.S. location for Ogawa Coffee. 10 Milk Street owned by Synergy Investments landed the Oqawa Coffee headquartered in Kyoto, Japan. Boston was their first location based in part to the similarities such as rich history, college students and international visitors.

From Eater:

According to a Boston University professor and author of the book Coffee Life in Japan, Japan is one of the world’s top three consumers of coffee, along with the United States and Germany, and it brews its coffee the strongest, Viser wrote. In Japan, brewed coffee is the main focus; the October 2014 Globe article surmised that the forthcoming Ogawa will offer more espresso options to cater to the Boston-area market.

0 Parking App Gains Traction in Boston

Posted on April 27, 2015 by Wil Catlin

Credit: Boston Business Journal

Parking in Boston: we need and it and it can be hard to find and expensive. Spot Park puts private parking space owners in touch with those looking to rent them and charges a 15% fee. Boston has been the pilot city and having just raised under $1M Spot Park will be expanding to 7 other U.S. cities.

Founder and CEO Braden Golub notes in the Boston Business Journal that Spot Park “‘now has 14,000 Boston users…this is a perfect test market for us, because Boston is notoriously difficult to find parking in,’ Golub said in an interview. ‘We think if we can make it work here, we can make it work in other cities’…Through its mobile app, the company allows drivers to book and pay for hundreds of Boston-area parking spots available from homeowners and apartment-renters. Spot Park takes a 15 percent cut off of every transaction.”

You can read the full article on the BBJ, here.

0 Congress Square Project Grows Retail in Boston Financial District

Posted on April 20, 2015 by Wil Catlin

Congress Sq. retail space in Boston financial district

Credit: BBJ

Related Beal’s Congress Square project will bring “The Block” back to the street.” This will add a great street scape of retailers to the Congress and State Street interesting section of the Financial District.

Coverage on the BBJ notes, “the mixed-use project will include renovated offices, the addition of ground-floor retail and restaurant space, residential units and a boutique hotel. It’s knit together by a reinvigorated Quaker Lane — currently a rather dark back alley — into what Related Beal hopes will be a destination retail and nightlife location, as well as an improved Washington Street retail corridor.”

More information on the mixed-use redevelopment project is available on bizjournals.com.

0 Boylston Street Filling with Consumer Tech Storefronts

Posted on April 1, 2015 by Wil Catlin

Credit: BBJ

Not only does the Boston Marathon run down Boylston Street, but now that is followed by every tech consumer. Boylston Street is home to the newly opened Verizon mega store at 745 Boylston Street. The next block over at 699 Boylston Street is home to the AT&T mega store. AT&T and Verizon followed the leader, Apple which opened at 815 Boylston Street and Microsoft which is in the Prudential complex at 800 Boylston Street. Need a gadget or some tech support? It can all be had on Boylston between 699 & 800 Boylston Street.

The BBJ summarizes the recent additions, noting “Verizon [is] opening up a superstore on Boylston Street in Boston’s Back Bay later this month. Now today, it’s AT&T that says it’s going to open a 9,000-square-foot store at 699 Boylston, not too far away from the Verizon superstore, which is at 745 Boylston…Both stores show how much Apple has changed the retail experience” in the Back Bay.

You can read more on the Boston Business Journal.

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Back Bay office space

0 500 Boylston in Back Bay to Add Courtyard Retail Shops

Posted on April 1, 2015 by Wil Catlin

back bay retail space added to 500 boylston street

Credit: The Boston Globe

The limited supply of Back Bay options is providing a creative opportunity for landlords. Equity Office (EOP) is looking to add 80,000 square feet of space to the front of 500 Boylston Street.

From the Boston Globe:

“Equity Office Properties notified the Boston Redevelopment Authority Friday of its plans to build an 80,000-square-foot addition in front of the 25-story tower and its main entrance. The company also wants to convert up to 50,000 square feet of office space in the tower to retail…500 Boylston was the subject of controversy even before it opened in 1989. Designed by the celebrated architect Philip Johnson with John Burgee Architects, its postmodern style was divisive.”

0 Office Space near International Place Just got Sweeter

Posted on March 26, 2015 by Wil Catlin

What’s new at International Place? The donuts have arrived, but get there early!

Photo Illustration by BRA; original image courtesy of The Boston Globe

The opening of Kane’s Handcrafted Donuts at International Place was marked by “a doughnut throwdown worthy of celebrity chef Bobby Flay. Kane’s, which does its frying and baking out of its Saugus store, brought in a batch of its finest…Kane’s has been around since 1955, but it is opening just its second store Wednesday in a tiny 700-square-foot location at street level of Chiofaro’s building,” a Boston Globe article reports.

You can read the article, here.

0 Prudential Center Expanding Retail Space in Back Bay

Posted on March 26, 2015 by Wil Catlin

Credit: Wikipedia

Retail is growing in Back Bay with the help of Boston Properties. 16,343 square feet of new retail is coming to the already 500,00 square feet plus.

From the BBJ:

“Boston Properties is adding space for up to three new retailers at the Prudential Center, the 502,813-square-foot retail complex in Boston’s Back Bay neighborhood…Shawmut Design and Construction has been issued a $9.2 million building permit to build the core and shell of 16,343 square feet of space along the center’s Boylston Arcade off 800 Boylston St.”

0 Northern Avenue Bridge Closure Impacting Local Businesses

Posted on February 12, 2015 by Wil Catlin

View of the northern avenue bridge in Boston illuminated by purple lights at night

Credit: The Boston Globe

How do you get from the Financial District to the Seaport? This question sounds simple enough; drive, public transit or walk. All three have their challenges and with the closure of the Northern Avenue bridge, some pedestrians and business are feeling the pinch.

A recent Boston Globe article assessed the impact the bridge closing is having on local businesses:

“The short answer is yes, it has,” says Alex Blake, director of operations at The Barking Crab, when asked if the closure of the footbridge has affected business. “Our pedestrian business. The Northern Avenue Bridge was an easier bridge to cross than the Moakley Bridge is. We are more difficult to find, because the Northern Ave. Bridge would drop people right off at our front door.”

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

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.