0 Shared Office and Lab Space in Cambridge for Life Science Ventures

mass innovation labsShared space for life sciences is a has a new host, Mass Innovations Labs, in Kendall Square. The program offers everything from office and bench layouts to EH&S Programs.

From the Boston Globe:

Mass Innovation Labs said Monday that it was opening an “accelerated commercialization space” for companies trying to bring their drugs and devices to market. There also are specialized services available in-house, such as help setting up research contracts and an animal testing and scientific support area run by Charles River Laboratories…The three-story space hosts 10 suites containing a mix of lab and office space ranging from 2,900 to 18,000 square feet. It is backed by Breed’s Hill Capital, a Charlestown firm.

 

0 Boston Startup Events in May

Boston startup calendar on eventbriteMay is full of 150 startup events to add to your calendar.  The Boston Business Journal has highlighted 10.

·         Growing and scaling a life science business, hosted by Constant Contact, on May 4.
·         TechHub Demo Night, where startups demo their product in front of a live audience, on May 5.
·         Startup Institute’s informational meetingon how to land a startup job you’re passionate about, on May 6.
·         Learning the Artistry of Startups, hosted by Johnson & Johnson Innovation, on May 7.
·         Growth Hacking for Startups, hosted by General Assembly, on May 7.
·         New England Venture Capital Association’s NEVY awards, presented by Johnson & Johnson Innovation, on May 13.
·         Mass Innovation Nights, where emerging startups showcase products at Mercedes-Benz of Burlington, on May 13.
·         Meet, network with and get advice from female startup founders at the Women 2.0 City Meetup, on May 14.
·         Boston Young Entrepreneurs host Boston “startup czar” Rory Cuddyer on May 19.
·         Startup rock climbing series with Ministry of Supply, hosted in partnership with Startup Institute, on May 26.

0 Boston Office Rents Expected to Rise through 2017

boston office buildings by waterBoston office rents continue to rise, and are expected to climb through 2017. What can you do to hedge your risk against leasing in the top of the market? Understand what you need and engage an advisor.

The BBJ notes, “Boston can expect its asking rental rate increase to average 10.1 percent per year during that timeframe…The office market in Boston’s central business district averaged a $46.60 per-square-foot rental rate last year…[with estimates for] those rates to increase to $52.83 by 2015, $59.48 by 2016 and $62.09 by 2017.”

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

 

0 State Street Tower Offered to Public

State Street high-rise

Credit: Boston Globe

Office buildings are trading at records levels and the influx of capital into Boston shows no sign of letting up.  1 Lincoln Street which is home to State Street is offering a new twist, you can own a piece.

From the Boston Globe:

[The] venture led by Fortis Property Group of New York, which bought the 1.1-million-square-foot tower for just under $900 million in 2006, would sell a 48.88 percent interest in the building through a real estate investment trust called ETRE REIT, according to documents that were filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

In the documents, ETRE said the State Street tower, built in 2003 and fully occupied by State Street Corp., is currently valued at $1.1 billion.

The move to hold a public stock offering for the building is the idea of ETRE Financial LLC, founded three years ago with the purpose of “facilitating the public listing of individual real estate assets to improve access, liquidity, and transparency in commercial real estate,” according to its website.

 

0 Biotech Real Estate Soaring in Kendall Square

The global hot spot for Bio Pharma space is Kendall Square in East Cambridge with 130 life sciences companies in 2.5 square miles.

Boston biotech real estate

Credit: CNBC

From CNBC:

“Of the top 20 pharmas I think probably somewhere between 50 and 75 percent have a presence in and around Cambridge,” said Joel Marcus, CEO of Alexandria Real Estate, the landlord with the biggest market share in the area.

“As tight as the lab market is in Kendall Square, the office market is even more tight, in part because Microsoft and Google are expanding their operations,” MassBio’s Abair said. At the same time though, he noted the proximity of tech and life sciences companies enable cross-industry collaboration.

Follow the link to view a related video on CNBC.

0 Boston Startup moves from Cambridge to Newbury Street to Expand Workforce

Bridj is on the move and parked on Newbury Street.  283/285 Newbury Street offered an experience that aligned well with vision of Matt George, Bridj founder and CEO.  Off street parking, roof deck and 3 floors of creative space.

office space on newbury street

Credit: BBJ

Bridj has elected to share this experience through Pivotdesk, have a look and see if it works for your growing team.

From the Boston Business Journal:

The company moved out of a co-working space at the Cambridge Innovation Center into a 5,400-square-foot space at 283 Newbury St. in Boston earlier this year.

“We were outgrowing the CIC and while co-working spaces are great and they have lots of benefits and amenities, it’s really hard to start building your own culture (there),” said Ryan Kelly, Bridj’s marketing manager.

0 Boston On demand Office Space

I was first introduced to Breather from Will Preap who is the head of Breather’s business development for Boston and got the concept.  The notion that I could have a private meeting/interview in a space outside of the public eye was captivating.  Preap has strong roots to Boston and expects to add 30 location throughout the CBD.  So, questions I get from landlords are, is it safe?  Yes, Breather controls access to the space via a smart phone app.  Prior to getting access, Breather understands the clients social footprint using algorithms that access social media sites to better understand the profile.  Once you have selected the Breather spot you get to the door and Breather provides a one-time access code to the app.  You enter and you meeting commences.  The space is fitted out with smart phone chargers wrapped in a sophisticated yet relaxed atmosphere complete with WIFI.

The meeting ends and you depart, yes, Breather knows.  Breather then sends their team back into the space to ensure it is ready to go for the next client.

Breather CEO

Pictured above is Justin Harlow of BRA’s Downtown team @ 715 Boylston Street.

0 Milk Street Lands Japan’s Ogawa Coffee

Milk Street coffee shop

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 Multiple Projects from Boston Properties Progressing

Boston office development north station

Credit: Boston Herald

Boston Properties is bullish on Boston with projects underway or proposed from Back Bay, Financial District and North Station.

·         888 Boylston has seen the crane arrive and has announced is major tenant Natixis Global Asset Management
·         100 Federal Street is looking to add more retail on the Congress Street side of the project

From the Boston Herald:

“In 2015, we estimate we could move approximately $1 billion in pre-development projects into our active development pipeline,” CEO Owen Thomas said. “Before launching any of these projects, we need to complete the entitlement and planning process and, in most cases, some level of pre-leasing.”

0 On-demand Meeting Rooms in Boston

So, it is best described as office space between Starbucks and any number of the temporary groups that provide contractual services for office space.  Breather is space for only when you need it.  Imagine that you are interviewing a person that will be replacing a person on your team.  The last thing you would want to do is have that meeting internally, you could go to Starbucks, but you might get seen by a coworker.  Now come breather, have a meeting in a private space within close proximately to your office and schedule the space for 30 minutes.  Best of all, its done from your phone.  Boston Realty Advisors has been assisting Breather find new spots in the city.

Meeting rooms for rent in Boston

Credit: bizjournals.com

From the Boston Business Journal:

Bostonians will now have access to five private spaces in the Back Bay and Cambridge area with a tap of their phones, with [Breather] locations that include: 715 Boylston St., two spaces at 36 Gloucester Street, and two spaces at 1158 Mass. Ave. in Harvard Square.