0 Boston Developers Eye Financial Tech Sector

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Rendering of modernized Boston Financial District

Credit: Bisnow

The newest Tech-friendly office tower could be a crucial differentiator in Class A Financial District office space, with delivery in 2020.

According to Bisnow, Trans National CEO Steve Belkin and EVP (development) Justin Krebs want to help Boston become a global financial/tech innovation cluster…proposing “a $900M tower downtown that would include an elaborate two-story 22,500 SF Entrepreneurial Innovation Center that’s free to the public. They hope that the space where financial services pros, tech talent and university folk join forces will help elevate Boston’s brand as a global hotbed of financial innovation. Steve, an entrepreneur who’s launched 30 companies of his own, is also answering Mayor Walsh’s call to help make Boston the world’s innovation leader by 2030.

You can read the full article on the Bisnow website.

0 Drones are Increasingly being Used to Video Office Buildings, Lots, and Construction

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Video and drones keep popping up in the news, have a look at the video of Apple’s new campus shot with a GoPro-equipped DJI Phantom 2 drone.  Look for more drone video of once non accessible construction sites.  Drones will need to fly below the FAA’s 400 height and above the private property airspace height.  In the case of this site in Cupertino, California, the max height is 83 feet:

0 Architects Look to Use Virtual Reality to Portray Building Designs

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VR for office space in Boston

Credit: BetaBoston

What will it look like?  Let’s take a play out of our kids playbook by tapping into the gaming technology and apply it to proposed architecture.  Tsoi/Kobus & Associates in Cambridge is doing just that by using Revizto to create a digital building.  Put on the virtual reality goggles and let’s go for a walk.

From BetaBoston:

To “enter” a building, the client dons a pair of Oculus virtual reality goggles and gets an immersive first-person view. If she turns her head to the right, she sees what’s to the right. If she walks down stairs, using a joystick or keyboard commands to move, she feels a slight bounce on each step. She can walk through doors or go up on the roof to get a sense of how it will feel to be inside the space.

Another magical part? All of this can be done before a contract for a building is even awarded and could eliminate the need for creating life-size physical mock-ups out of plywood — making the whole process much more efficient.

0 Cloud Computing’s Impact on Today’s Office Space

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Office space is used far differently today than 25 years ago. Production is no longer measured by how much time you log in a seat at your desk, but rather what is accomplished by the day’s end. Some jobs still require sitting in a specific seat — lab technicians and receptionists are the two that come to mind — but those restrictions are becoming less and less applicable to the majority of professions.  At our company we offer a wide variety of options for our team members, much of which is a direct result enhanced virtual desktops. Only a few years ago, you had to sit at your desk in order to access your computer and critical electronic files; now your electronic desktop can follow you.

co-working and shared office space infographic

Credit: MBACentral

An article from MBAcentral on coworking spaces observes “the changing nature of business and the workforce [noting] 4 in 10 U.S. workers…will be temps, freelancers or contractors, 8 in 10 Large corporations [are] planning to increase use of flexible workforce, Nearly 90% of businesses have already adopted some cloud computing. [and] 80% of companies offer flexible working arrangements, including telework.”

You can read the full article, here.

0 MIT Plans to Further Transform Kendall Square, Main Street

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Office building in Cambridge on 1 main st

! Main Street, Cambridge

Changes in real estate keep coming, now MIT is elaborating on its plans for 1 Main Street in Kendall.

According to the Boston Globe, “University officials this week presented additional details of their plan for a reimagined Main Street, with new towers, wider sidewalks, welcoming open spaces, and clear signals to visitors that they have landed at MIT and in Kendall Square. The presentation before the city’s Planning Board on Tuesday night provided an overview of the $1.2 billion redevelopment project, which calls for converting six parking lots into offices, research space, hundreds of units of housing, and more than 100,000 square feet of retail. The six new buildings near Main would rise up to 300 feet tall.” The Globe article further explains, “City planners were largely supportive of MIT’s plan, though in a memo they expressed concern about “the scale and bulk” of some of the proposed buildings, warning that they might overwhelm pedestrians. Several members of the Planning Board agreed that the buildings appeared too imposing; some also called for more middle-class housing. But the board did certify that the plan met zoning and design guidelines.”

You can read the full article on the Boston Globe.

Available Office Listings and Area Details
Kendall Square Office Space

0 Older Office Buildings in Boston Yielding Higher Rent Prices

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office space at 10 Post office square in Boston

Credit: Boston Globe

It is true, Class B office rents are on par with the low rise space in class a towers.

From the Boston Globe:

What they lack in modern conveniences, the Class B buildings make up in character: Many have exposed bricks and beams or ornate stairways and other finishings that have caught the eye of young technology companies and other startups looking for more authentic digs.

Vacancy rates for those buildings have been consistently below those of the more modern, taller downtown towers, something unheard of in previous decades, according to JLL, a Chicago commercial real estate firm with offices in Boston.

Rents at Class B buildings in downtown Boston have increased about 32 percent over the past three years, compared with 18 percent for space in Class A towers, according to Cushman & Wakefield.

Related Office Listings
Boston Commercial Real Estate

0 Three New Seaport Office Towers Gain Approval

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new office towers in Boston seaport

Credit: Boston Globe

The skyline in the Seaport continue to change with the approval of 3 more towers Boston Civic Design Commission.

According to a recent Boston Globe article, “the Boston Civic Design Commission gave its approval to the plans for three 22-story condo and apartment towers and retail along Seaport Boulevard. It’s the final city approval needed for the $700 million project, said Nick Martin, a spokesman for the Boston Redevelopment Authority…Unlike many developments in the Seaport, which have been criticized for being overly boxy, these buildings are designed with staggered heights and different shapes arrayed around an elevated podium with retail on the 3.5 acre site. It would include about 1,100 condos and apartments,- with the exact mix to be determined by market conditions – and 125,000 square feet of retail space. The buildings will be built on two blocks between Seaport Boulevard and Congress Street, between B Street and East Service Road.”

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

0 WiredScore Indicates Office Space Connectivity

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230 Congress St. office space for lease

Click on the image to view additional property details for 230 Congress St.

The office tenants in today’s market factor many variables as they narrow down the list of potential locations. Today, one of the top three questions my team hears is connectivity; who’s in the building. Gone are the days of just replying by saying, “A T1.”

Tenants what to know who are all the providers, how is the building’s infrastructure set up to handle loads, and what are the annual costs. Some companies demand dual providers for fault tolerant service. A company that is looking to certify the entire U.S. office market is WiredScore with their certification levels of connectivity.

  • Platinum: Best in class connectivity
  • Gold: Redundant, diverse internet connectivity
  • Silver: Meets needs of most commercial tenants
  • Certified: Meets minimum standards

Beacon Capital of Boston is one of the 1st landlords to certify their entire portfolio. 230 Congress Street is certified platinum.

Related Listings
Follow the link or click on the image to view the property details and availability for 230 Congress Street.

0 What Does the Commute Cost Boston Drivers?

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Do you pick you job based on where you live or do you pick where you live based on your job?

According to estimates from the Boston Globe, “Boston-area drivers spent an extra 64 hours in the car due to traffic in 2014, a new study found. During that time, they burned an extra 30 gallons of gas and also lost time they could have been productive. It added up to an estimated $1,388 lost per driver…Boston ranked as the sixth worst major metropolitan area for traffic congestion.”

boston_commuters_time_in_car

Credit: Boston Globe

You can read the full article on the Boston Globe.

0 Copley Place Renovations Begin this Month

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Copley Place storefronts

Credit: BBJ

More construction is headed to Back Bay’s Copley Square with Simon’s upgrade of their Copley Place.

The BBJ notes, “the renovations will include physical upgrades such as new flooring and ceiling treatments, upgraded escalators and glass handrails and an upscale food court component.” Expected to wrap up next summer, “the interior retail work is a part of Simon’s $500 million, 1.96 million-square-foot expansion of Copley Place, which includes a new 52-story, 542-unit residential tower that’s currently under construction. The Boston Redevelopment Authority in May approved an updated affordable housing agreement for the project, as well as a redrawn boundary agreement that now prevents facades from encroaching outside the project site.”

You can read the full article on the Boston Business Journal website, here.