0 The Boston Globe is on the Move, Literally

Posted on July 11, 2014 by Wil Catlin

Credit: The Boston Herald

The new ownership is in the midst of some significant changes on the look and feel along with the location. It will be interesting to see what becomes of the 16.5 acre complex in Dorchester that has housed The Globe since the ’50. Additionally, a 150K tenant in the market with garnish many developers and may be the catalyst to get another project out of the ground.

From the BBJ:

“Boston Globe owner John Henry has hiredColliers International to search for the space that would house the Globe’s editorial, advertising and administrative offices. Commercial real estate sources familiar with the search say Colliers has looked in the Seaport area, among other locations in Boston.”

0 State Street Opens Facility at Channel Center in the Seaport

Posted on June 28, 2014 by Wil Catlin

State Street at Channel Center in the Seaport

Credit: Bisnow

State Street has opened is new facility in the Seaport at Channel Center. For some this marks a trend towards more collaborative downtown workspaces.

From Bisnow:

“Mayor Walsh and State Street CEO Jay Hooley were among those celebrating the 222-year-old financial services giant’s jump from the Financial District to the emerging Seaport. Kristin says State Street’s presence validates the Seaport as a desirable corporate address. And the building’s open layout—which emphasizes collaborative space over individual cubicles—is a “game changer.” (It’s also easier to see who’s gossiping about you.) The company expects that at least 3,500 employees will move in by fall; it started moving in February. The build-to-suit was developed by Commonwealth Ventures and AREA Property Partners.”

0 Boston Harbor Skyscraper Proposal Gets Revived

Posted on June 27, 2014 by Wil Catlin

Is smaller better or is the new mayor now open Chiofaro’s Harbor Garage Proposal? No matter what side of this you are on our waterfront continues to evolve and buildings created decades ago are being razed to make way for new developments that are in line with today’s uses and environmental standards.

Photos from The Boston Globe:

Continue reading →

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 Boston Micro Hotel Made to Fit Along Seaport Boulevard

Posted on June 5, 2014 by Wil Catlin

Credit: The Boston Globe

What’s new coming to the Seaport? Micro rooms. Yes, soon you will be able to get a hotel room that is about half the standard size. The location is will be along Seaport Boulevard near the Barking Crab.

From The Boston Globe:

“John B. Hynes III is proposing to develop a Yotel, whose rooms — Yotel calls them “cabins” — have set a new benchmark for efficiency from London to New York to Amsterdam…The rooms in Boston would range between 160 and 200 square feet, Hynes said, or roughly half the sizeof traditional rooms at the nearby Westin Waterfront. The 307-room Yotel is to be built along Seaport Boulevard, across from the John Joseph Moakley US Courthouse.”

0 Cool Office Space in the Seaport?

Posted on May 28, 2014 by Wil Catlin

Credit: Bostinno.streetwise.co

Yes, cool space can still be found in the Seaport. Lose It is on the lucky side with a great view Boston’s waterfront at 250 Northern Avenue.

From Bostinno.streetwise.co:

“Snuggled up in the Seaport, the startup has miraculously secured one of the best views of the harbor in the city. Seriously…Lose It!’s handful of employees are living large. An entire side of the company’s perfect, petite office is glass, overlooking the water. On nice days, people can venture outside onto the balcony and scoop up a spot on a bench to take their phone calls and lunches in the open air.”

0 Seaport Parking Transforms with Neighborhood

Posted on May 27, 2014 by Wil Catlin

A frequent question I get is, where can I park? Well that’s simple, but usually involves a price higher than somebody wants to pay. On a tour of 320 Congress Street this week, we referred to the ever-disappearing mud lot parking spaces of the Seaport; that number has reduced by 1,200 spaces over the last two years while the garages have only given back 990 spaces. What gives? Well, in short, the mud lots over the last twenty years were the cheap alternative for the high-priced Financial District garages. Now that the Seaport is a growing Class A office market commuters should reply on public transportation, after all, South Station is only a short walk.

The Boston Globe has posted an infographic that provides a visible breakdown of the changes to parking spaces in the Seaport:

Credit: The Boston Globe

0 Starbucks Opens Waterfront Retail Location at Boston’s Fan Pier

Posted on May 3, 2014 by Wil Catlin

Starbucks has crossed the Fort Point Channel into the Seaport with its new location at Fan Pier.

Credit: fanpierboston.com

From the WSJ’s Market Watch:

“Lease agreements have been reached with each of the new tenants to occupy more than 21,450 square feet of existing space on the lobby level of Fifty Northern Avenue, one of two build-to-suit towers – along with Eleven Fan Pier Boulevard – housing Vertex Pharmaceutical’s global headquarters…Starbucks Coffee Company’s Fan Pier location will occupy 2,100 square feet of street floor space, which is expected to open in the summer of 2014.”

0 Two Summer Street Office Buildings Sold

Posted on May 3, 2014 by Wil Catlin

321 Summer St. in Boston (click to view additional property details)

More trades in the Seaport’s red hot office Market. The Seaport Class B office lease rates are hovering just around $40 PSF in the first year.

Drawing national coverage, the Wall Street Journal reported on the recent Seaport transactions of 281 Summer Street and 321 Summer Street in Boston, MA. The Journal notes, “the two building portfolio is in Boston’s Seaport District and totals 243,000 square feet of office and retail space. Newly renovated, the properties are well-located in the heart of Boston’s Fort Port Channel neighborhood.”

The WSJ article on the Boston Seaport is available, here.

You can view additional details on both of the Summer Street buildings on our property listing pages:

321 Summer Street, Boston Seaport

281 Summer Street, Boston Seaport

0 Boston Waterfront: $20M Upgrade Proposed

Posted on April 19, 2014 by Wil Catlin

Credit: Bisnow.com

This is terrific news and should be implemented immediately. Public access to our natural beauty is imperative to the City’s continued growth in the years to come. Not too far back, the suppression of the Central Artery bridged many areas of our city and created the Greenway.

From Bisnow:

“The City’s new proposal to spend $20M to upgrade 40 acres along the waterfront from the North End to Fort Point with open space, cultural attractions, and entertainment (fingers crossed for Ferris wheel) will elevate the rapidly changing district, BRA deputy director for waterfront planning Richard McGuiness tells Bisnow. The aim: upgrade the border of “our greatest natural resource: Boston Harbor.”

The complete Bisnow article is available on its website, here