0 Needham Water and Sewer Rates to Increase

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Town of Needham Ma welcome sign

Credit: NeedhamMa.gov

With the recent vote by the Needham Board of Selectmen to increase water and sewer rates in the town for first time in nearly a decade, it will be interesting to see the direct impact this change has on Needham office buildings and the cost for office space throughout the area.

According to a report on Needham.WickedLocal.com, “the specific plan adopted for the next fiscal year introduces a $4 quarterly fee for irrigation meters and a $9 quarterly service charge for sewer use, while also increasing prices per cubic feet for all types of water use.”

The full Wicked Local article can be found, here.

0 Boston Harbor Skyscraper Proposal Gets Revived

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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:

Boston Harbor Skyscraper project (more…)

0 The Arsenal Project in Watertown

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Arsenal Project Watertown MA

Credit: TheArsenalProject

Watertown is changing and so is the landscape for retailers and office space within this active market. Typically known as a town with office space that is offered at a more cost-efficient rate when compared to office space within Needham and Newton, today Watertown is undergoing revitalization and reinvention in order to draw a new generation of enthusiastic shoppers and diners as well as tenants looking for creative, brick-and-beam office space.

From Wicked Local:

“Instead of focusing solely on retail, a modernized Arsenal Project will be reconfigured to become a vibrant destination of national, regional and local retailers, with fresh, new restaurant, retail and entertainment choices. Recent renovations that signal the changes to come include exterior building and landscaping upgrades, new common area seating and even, during the darkness of the winter months, a remote-controlled light show playfully executed on the brick sides of the buildings. Currently underway are interior and exterior energy-efficient lighting upgrades and a redesign of signage.”

0 Is Your Office Building Comcast Ready? Check Here

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Slow internet graphic

Credit: Comcast

For small tenants the cost of reliable internet service is a must.  Companies that fall into a small to mid-sized footprint in most cases are unwilling to use a fiber connection, but would prefer a business class product from Comcast.  No all buildings are equal; meaning some have Comcast Business Class where the building next store might not.  Why is that, if one has it shouldn’t they all?  Well no, Comcast will install their service into a building if they can get enough subscribers, if not, they will charge to install it.  Most landlords are unwilling to burden the installation costs and as a result the building stays dark from Comcast.

Well, now you can quickly check if Comcast services the building your are interested in move your office to at:

http://business.comcast.com/service-availability/check-availability

0 Boston Roadways Lag Behind the Real Estate

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Allston Interchange project

Credit: MassDOT

This major intersection was last updated 49 years ago on February 18, 1965.  The requirements of our roadways are vastly different now and we need to take a proactive look toward the next 50 years as Boston and Cambridge continue to grow in both workforce and population.

Banker & Tradesman reports that “recently, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation convened a task force of about 50 members to advise the state on the redesign for the “Allston Interchange,” the spaghetti bowl of ramps and tollbooths in the middle of the rail yard adjacent to the Charles River and a neighborhood of houses and businesses.”

Additional information on the Allston Interchange is provided in the B&T article, here.

0 Needham Business Leaders Push For Change

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Center 128 office building in needham

Credit: Boston Globe

In an uncharacteristic move by the Town of Needham, two permitting changes were made this June. Needham residents have expressed an urge to enhance Downtown Needham with the hope that the reform will pave the way for more significant growth. Among the changes that have taken place, businesses will now have an easier time altering the façade of their office, flex and industrial buildings. Will this have an impact on the look and feel of Needham/Newton office buildings and their asset class?

Newton.WickedLocal notes, “this will save small business owners the hassle of getting on a Planning Board agenda and posting a public notice, plus the optional expense of hiring a lawyer.”

You can read the Wicked Local article, here.

0 Newton & Needham Office Space: the next Kendall Square?

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N2 development in Needham

Credit Wicked Local

A 500-acre parcel of land that borders Route 95 is undergoing a complete re-development as Mayor Warren and elected officials in Needham are trying to develop the parcel into an attractive place for high-tech companies to set up and begin their business. TripAdvisor, which currently employs 500 people in Newton on Needham Street, announced in December of 2012 that it couldn’t find suitable office space to grow its business in Newton.

Wicked Local reports, “last month Newton Mayor Setti Warren went as far as Israel as part of a mission led by Gov. Deval Patrick to promote the N2 corridor. The mayor returned with the news that he had interested several Israeli companies in visiting the corridor to consider expanding or relocating there. Officials say that’s good news for Newton and Needham because of the added jobs and tax revenue new businesses could bring in.”

0 Newton Adds Another Office Development

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Austin St development in Newton

An increased amount of parking spaces throughout Newton will exist in the next handful of years strengthening the parking ratios for office space in this market. Typical parking ratios offered in the dynamic Newton market boast three spaces per 1,000 sf lease. With the addition of the Austin Street development, more businesses will be able to accommodate its employees and their cars. Maybe this will persuade commercial landlords in Needham to bolster the parking ratios they offer for their properties?

From Newton.WickedLocal:

“The proposed Austin Street developer will hold an info session at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, June 24 at Newton North High School Cafeteria, not City Hall as previously planned. Residents will be able to meet and share ideas with Austin Street Partners, the recently selected development team.”

0 Northeastern Whiteboard Roams Boston for New Tech Ideas

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Northeastern University logo

Credit: Northeastern

Where do good ideas come from?  Innovators.  Northeastern has a great idea; bring the white board to the street, yes on a truck that hits key destinations within our city.

From the Boston Business Journal:

“Northeastern University is launching a new master’s degree in innovation and is celebrating with a “whiteboard innovation challenge,” meant to identify innovators who might be good candidates for the degree. A total of four questions will be posed in two-week segments for the duration of the eight week contest. Participants will be asked to submit their innovative idea via a whiteboard drawing, taking a photo and posting it for consideration through the D’Amore-McKim Facebook application or on the mobile truck white board at one of the various locations.”

0 Boutique Hotel Plotted for Canal Street Near North Station

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prospective Boutique Hotel planned for Canal St. in Boston

Credit: Flickr

What do you do with an old bank?  Well, on Canal Street in North Station perhaps the best use would be an 80 room hotel.  The current zoning in that area is 100 feet the existing single story building would demolished for new construction.  What’s nearby?  Boston Realty Advisors represent 90 Canal Street which is a 77,976 square foot building with 23,349 square feet available and across the street is new residential construction.

The Boston Business Journal offered an early report on the prospective boutique hotel near North Station:

“Boston’s Bulfinch Triangle, the West End neighborhood across Causeway Street from North Station, could be getting a new hotel…A Woburn-based developer is floating a plan for a boutique hotel with about 80 rooms that would replace the shuttered Bank of America building at 104 Canal St…Somnath Hospitality bought the former bank building in January for $3 million, according to public records. Under the proposal, the one-story, 3,417-square-foot building would be razed to make way for the hotel. Zoning in the neighborhood is limited to 100 feet.”