0 Millennium Tower in Downtown Crossing Gets Unique New Restaurant

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Millinnium tower restaurant downtown crossing Boston

Credit: Bizjournals.com

What’s for dinner at you new condo in the Millennium Tower in Downtown Crossing? The BBJ had this to say on Millennium Tower’s new restaurant:

The developers of the luxury Millennium Tower in Downtown Crossing have settled on a restaurant to serve the kind of residents who buy units selling for the millions and tens of millions of dollars — the first New England venture by San Francisco chef Michael Mina and sushi chef Ken Tominaga…Mina’s company also will operate the residents-only club in the 685-foot tower…PABU will be an izakaya, which is a casual bar for professionals, essentially, and sushi bar. The opening of the restaurant on the first two floors at the corner of Franklin and Washington streets is set for fall 2016; residents are set to being moving in during the summer of 2016.

0 News Office and Retail Space Added to Fort Point Project

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Boston wharf road

22 Boston Wharf Rd.
(Click to view property details)

More new office space and retail is on the drawing board from Berkeley Investments at 22 Boston Wharf Road.

According to the Boston Business Journal, “Berkeley Investments has plans to add two office floors atop the Stillings Street parking garage….[along with proposing] street-level retail to Boston Wharf Road, which is a relatively short connecting road between Congress Street and Seaport Boulevard, as well as additional windows along the side of the building that abuts the Q Street park.”

The BBJ’s overview of the Fort Point project also notes, “the 241,124-square-foot property has an assessed value of $26.435 million this fiscal year, according to the city assessor. Berkeley acquired it in 2004 as part of a $97.05 million acquisition of a swath of Fort Point properties from Boston Wharf Co., a Suffolk County deed shows.”

The full BBJ article is available on its website, here.

0 Designers Wanted for City Hall Project

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Boston City Hall Plaza

Credit: Boston Herald

Mayor Walsh wants your creative ideas for City Hall.  Let’s see what some of our creative thinkers will come up with.

From the Boston Herald:

Walsh announced plans to “re-envision” the plaza to make it a more inviting and attractive civic space for residents and visitors during this year’s State of the City address in January…The master plan will identify areas for improvements at City Hall and the plaza, including possible public-private ventures, historic considerations and approaches for reuse, according to the solicitation issued by the city’s Public Facilities Department. It will look at existing conditions, including land use and zoning, and develop detailed cost estimates for the recommended work and programming.

“(The) vendor will coordinate with city representatives, other stake holders and (a) community advisory council on all aspects of project,” the advertisement states. “(The) scope of work will include a visioning exercise, identifying goals and objectives, best practices for municipal services and civic spaces as they relate to Boston City Hall and the plaza.”

0 Boston Experiencing Historic Commercial Building Boom

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rendering of office tower at Belvidere and Dalton East

Credit: Boston Globe

The Boston skyline is on the move.  A Boston Globe editorial notes, “Boston is in the midst of a building boom never seen in its history, with an influx of new residents and companies giving rise to skyscraping towers, thousands of homes, and retail businesses that are redefining commercial districts citywide.” The Globe followed the article with a list of 50 of the largest development projects organized by expected square feet.

Among these office developments are projects at the Government Center Garage, South Station air rights, Tremont Crossing, and Landmark Center in Fenway.

Jump over to the Globe to read through its complete list of the top Boston Office Developments in progress.

 

0 Tech Startup Progresses Architectural Renderings

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iphone app for architects and real estate developers

Credit: BBJ

What will it look like? That’s the question so many property owners and developers face when first envisioning a renovation, and  thanks to Terrence Masson of  Building Conversation, we will soon be able to get a much clearer idea.  The company will allow architects and others to visualized a proposed building within the context of its surroundings.

“It does that through the camera of an iPad or iPhone which acts as a “window,” on top of which architectural design proposals are overlaid. This technology is known as augmented reality, which offers users a live view of a real-world environment combined with elements that are computer-generated,” according to a Bizjournals.com posting.

“In effect, you get to see and walk around a full-scale hologram of the proposed architecture through the iPad,” said Building Conversation’s CEO Terrence Masson, who founded the company with George Thrush, the director of the School of Architecture at Northeastern University…Masson started working on the technology as part of a Capstone project at Northeastern about three years ago.

You can read the full article on BizJournals.

0 Overhaul of Prudential Center Food Court Presents Lunchtime Void

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food court at the prudential center in Back bay

Credit: The Boston Globe

For 22 years the food court at the Pru has been a Back Bay mainstay, come June 30th it will be a memory.  Boston Properties despite their lack of comment have a clear vision for their customers and execute flawlessly.  Rest assured, lunch will be served again, just be patient while our city continues to change.

From the Boston Globe:

The food court at the Shops at the Prudential is scheduled to close at the end of June, and its replacement, a massive Eataly marketplace, won’t open for more than a year…Some applaud the decision to open an Eataly, which hopes to draw 5 million customers a year, in the space in September 2016. At least until the marketplace opens, the lunch-scene void is an opportunity for other businesses, said Ani Collum, a partner at the Norwell consultancy Retail Concepts…Collum said food trucks and other mobile vendors should set up near the Pru to cash in because time-strapped workers may not have a long enough break to eat at a restaurant. Nearby establishments would also be smart to offer to deliver to the office buildings, she said.

0 BXBS of Massachusetts Moves to 101 Huntington Ave

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101 Huntington Avenue in Boston

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.

Related Real Estate Listings
Fenway office space for lease
Back Bay office space

0 745 Atlantic Ave. Purchased by Oxford Properties for $114.5M

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Office building at 745 Atlantic avenue in downtown Boston

Credit: BBJ

Oxford Properties continues its buying spree by plunking down $114.5 million for 745 Atlantic Avenue or $657 per square foot. 745 Atlantic Avenue is home to WeWork and Dain Torphy as well as a number of companies.  WeWork will be building out a Café on the 1st floor as part of their future expansion.

From the BBJ:

“It really fits our profile of what we like to buy for the long-term: Class A assets in downtown cores near transit-oriented locations,” said Chad Remis, the head of Oxford Properties’ Boston office.

Its $114.5 million acquisition of 745 Atlantic, which closed May 29, is more than double the $54.65 million sale price 745 Atlantic fetched in 2003. The property sold again in 2008 as part of a $1.7 billion office property acquisition invovlingBeacon Capital Partners and Charter Hall Office REIT of Sydney, Australia.

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

0 Courtyard Development Planned at 500 Boylston

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Not only is 500 Boylston Street on the market, it’s looking to grow as well by 77,300 square feet.  This would include up to 3 floors of retail and create a lobby with a gathering place with open seating.

Copley Place Boston

Credit: Boston Herald

From the Boston Herald:

“The project will improve the pedestrian experience along Boylston Street by filling in an underused courtyard,” said Equity Office Properties in a BRA filing. “(It) will activate the sidewalks and street edge on Boylston Street, and will improve the retail experience.

The new building would house 79,300 square feet of retail and office space, and would replace a recessed courtyard off Boylston Street…Instead of the courtyard, developers say a lobby will serve as a gathering place, with seating and potentially a fireplace.

0 Two Office Buildings in Back Bay Listed for $1.5 billion

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Boylston Street commercial real estate Back Bay

Credit: Boston Globe

The Boston commercial real estate market continues northward with no signs of letting up.  222 Berkeley Street and 500 Boylston Street are set move in a record trade at over $1,150 per square foot.

From the Boston Globe:

The buildings total about 1.3 million square feet in size. A sale for $1.5 billion would put the price at nearly $1,150 per square foot, far higher than the selling prices of other commercial properties in Boston’s key business districts, which rarely top $700 per square foot…The Back Bay buildings are owned by a Blackstone subsidiary, Equity Office Properties, and share an underground parking garage. They are near the Public Garden, the Orange Line and commuter rail trains at Back Bay Station, and dozens of high-end retail shops.