Boston Office Space for Lease and Rent | BostonOfficeSpaces.com

0 Boston Office Market is Positioned for Continued Growth

Posted on November 10, 2014 by Wil Catlin

The Boston office and retail market is expected to continue its upward march.

Credit: multihousingnews.com

According to an editorial on MultiHousingNews.com, “developers completed approximately 4.2 million square feet of office space over the last 12 months as compared to merely 1.4 million square feet in the previous year. Around 5.2 million square feet currently under construction in the metro area is expected to come online throughout 2016. According to Marcus & Millichap, approximately 3.2 million square feet of office space is set for completion by the end of 2014—a 1 percent increase from 2013—with new inventory being heavily concentrated in the Boston/Suffolk County and Route 128 North submarkets.”

For a detailed indicator of the Boston office market direction, jump over to the MultiHousingNews website.

0 Seasoned Fort Point Landlords Ready to Cash Out

Posted on November 7, 2014 by Wil Catlin

The Seaport is for sale! The landlord’s that have participated in the lease of up to 3.7 million square feet of new tenant space since 2010, are looking to cash out and move onto new opportunities. Class B rents have surpassed the $40.00 per square foot mark on Summer Street.

Boston's fort-point neighborhood in the downtown Seaport district

Credit: cityofboston.gov

Banker and Tradesman points out that “nearly 750,000 square feet of office space is currently on the market, or nearly one-fifth of the neighborhood’s office inventory. The six properties include the Thomson Reuters office portfolio, an assemblage of 10 buildings containing 414,000 square feet of brick-and-beam space.The transactions will go a long way toward determining whether Fort Point can retain its status as an Innovation District, or whether rents set by the new owners will force startups to look elsewhere.”

Additional information on the transformative Fort Point neighborhood is available on B&T’s website.

0 What will it cost me to move into my new office space?

Posted on November 6, 2014 by Wil Catlin

Humboldt moving, logo What would it cost to move your company from Downtown Crossing in the Financial District to the Seaport? Let’s assume you are in 3,600 rentable square feet and moving into something similar.

According to Humboldt Moving and Storage, you can use the following as a guide:

• The cost per square foot would be $3.00 + for an average, and it is usually + on a commercial office move.
• This does not include packing, crating, panel systems, or any special services.
• Tenants will usually perform their own packing. Rental crates will average around $5.00 each. Figure 3-6 crates per person. Legal and accounting firms will require more due to paper record keeping.
• Workstations will usually run $200 plus each to disassemble and reassemble.
• Based on a 25 person office with 20 workstations your move would cost $15,300.00 or $4.25 per square foot.

0 How to Price Out your New Office Space

Posted on November 6, 2014 by Wil Catlin

So, you have just secured your next round of funding and you are off to the races. As part of your upcoming spend, you need to get an office that exudes the culture of your vision while being easily accessible for your growing team. You find it and your new headquarters will be in the heart of Downtown Crossing, DTX. What’s next, what are the associated costs?

Figure the space is 3,600 rentable square feet with 25 workstations.

Office space is quoted per square foot per annum, but P & L’s are not. The following breaks down the all the various expenses based 5 years of occupancy.

0 Faneuil Hall and Quincy Market: Marked for an Overhaul

Posted on November 6, 2014 by Wil Catlin

Faneuil hall and quicy market in downtown boston

Credit: ABCNews

Faneuil Hall is set for change. Ashkenazy Acquisition Corp will be looking to convert some of the office space to a boutique hotel in the South Market Building.

From ABCNews:

“Quincy Market, the granite-columned marketplace just behind red-brick Faneuil Hall, is part of one of the world’s top tourist destinations, attracting visitors seeking a taste of revolutionary history and a cup of New England clam chowder…after four decades, the market’s operator says Quincy Market — along with the two brick buildings along either side that house office space and retail chains — is past due for an overhaul.”

“Among its early plans are transforming existing office space in the South Market building into a new, 180-room boutique hotel; installing the Japanese clothing retailer Uniqlo on the top floor of Quincy Market; and redesigning the building’s crowded food court with more open space, sit-down restaurants and, possibly, moveable bars. Along the marketplace’s familiar cobblestone paths, the company wants to possibly introduce ping pong tables, shuffleboard and performance spaces for live music and poetry and book readings.“

0 Office Rent Increases Expected in Prime Boston Locations

Posted on November 6, 2014 by Wil Catlin

If you need more space or if your lease is near the end of the term, now is the time to secure office space in Boston. Buildings are trading hands and the new owners will be looking for a return on their investment and will push rents. In 2007 when Blackstone bought Equity, rents rose 44 percent and other landlords followed suit.

A report on nerej suggests an optimistic future for landlords; “all signs are in place for another major rent move rivaling The Blackstone Effect of 2007. As of Q2 2014 when everything started, vacancy for class A and B buildings in core downtown Boston (defined as Back Bay, Seaport and CBD) was at 8.4%. In Q4 2006, vacancy was at 8.3%. In Q2 2014 average rent for Boston’s core downtown market was $50.32 per s/f; this is $8.56 per s/f higher than Q4 2006…The momentum in the market is similar to 2007. Based on 2007 actual experience, and a move similar to 2007, it would be reasonable to see a “rent pop” up to the $70 per s/f level for core assets. 2007 peaked at $60.15 per s/f. 2015-2016 should add another $10 per s/f, which would result in average rent of $70.15 per s/f during the next 2 years.”

More information is available on the nerej website, here.

0 100 Cambridge Street Goes up for Sale

Posted on November 6, 2014 by Wil Catlin

Looking for an office tower downtown to buy? The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is selling 100 Cambridge Street and looking to capitalize on the high prices that are being paid for Class A buildings around Boston.

Credit: Boston Globe

The building is:
·         22 Stories
·         565,157 Rentable Square Feet
·         Built in 1965
·         Renovated in 2004
·         Typical floor size is 22,255 Rentable Square Feet

Some of the buildings tenants re:
·         Department of Revenue
·         Prince Lobel Tye LLP
·         Miller Wachman LLP
·         Mass General
·         Penn Mutual Life Insurance Company

Marty Jones, chief executive of MassDevelopment, commented in a Boston Globe article that the “state-owned building is not a development opportunity, but she said it should prove attractive to buyers because of steadily rising office rents in downtown Boston. Built in 1965, the tower, formerly known as the Leverett A. Saltonstall Office Building, fell into disrepair and was gutted by MassDevelopment in 1999. The agency added 75 condominiums at the base of the building, along with 25,000 square feet of retail stores.”

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

0 Defining Boston’s Seaport District

Posted on November 6, 2014 by Wil Catlin

Credit: BBJ

The Seaport, formerly known as the South Boston Waterfront has not only evolved, but arrived. Interestingly it is not as clearly defined geographically as one might think. One border is the Fort Point Channel and another is Boston Harbor. Beyond that, it is up to some interpretation.

According to CoStar, the border continues to West 2nd Street and East 2nd Street. The core of the Seaport in my opinion consists of: Summer Street, Congress Street and Seaport Boulevard and the various intersecting streets. The Boston Design Center, Convention Center and Wormwood Street would also be included.

The Boston Business Journal quantifies the growth, noting, the Seaport District “already has a population bigger than Beacon Hill’s, and more radical change is on the short-term horizon. Some of the region’s most experienced developers are pushing forward projects that within three years should create more than 2,500 housing units. City planners see another doubling in housing stock, to 10,000 units, by 2030.

0 Christian Science Parcel Bought for $22M and Heavy Restrictions

Posted on November 6, 2014 by Wil Catlin

Credit: ChristianScience.com

Development opportunities continue in Back Bay with some interesting restrictions from sellers.

According to a report on the BBJ, “the Church Realty Trust, which administers property for the First Church of Christ Scientist, dictated in a deed conveying a parcel at 30 Dalton St. to developers that the land was subject to long-term use restrictions that reflect Christian Science teaching around alcohol sales, pornography and, to a limited extent, medical practices.”

Additional details are available on the Boston Business Journal, here.

0 Is Speculative Development Fit to Take Off in Boston?

Posted on November 6, 2014 by Wil Catlin

Office building at 111 Huntington Avenue in Boston

The office market has clearly shifted from years past. We are seeing continued rent growth in all Boston office markets from Back Bay to the Seaport and Financial District. The time has arrived for speculative new office construction. Tenants are willing to pay for brand new construction that accommodates their culture and growth.

From Banker and Tradesman:

“’You’re hearing rumblings in the market about people starting to think about spec office development,’ said Carlos Febres-Mazzei, a senior vice president at CBRE/New England. Typically, speculative development takes off when vacancy rates fall to around 8 percent. With current construction costs, rents need to approach $70 a square foot to support ground-up development, said Febres-Mazzei said.”