0 Winthrop Square Garage Project Faces Another Obstacle

Winthrop Square garage site

Credit: Boston Globe

The shuttered garage of Winthrop Square faces another hurdle in the quest for redevelopment.

According to the Boston Globe, “Shirley Kressel, filed [a] complaint Jan. 4 with the state attorney general [alleging] the city and its legal department have repeatedly violated municipal law in an effort to transfer the parking garage to the Boston Redevelopment Authority…Kressel is trying to block the transfer of the garage to the redevelopment authority because she fears the proceeds from the sale of taxpayer-owned land will go to the quasi-public agency. City councilors had an agreement with the redevelopment authority stipulating that the money would go into city coffers.”

You can read more on the latest hurdle facing the Winthrop Square redevelopment project on the Boston Globe’s website.

0 BRA Approves $2.3B in New Projects

BRA approves new projects in downtown Boston

Credit: Boston Business Journal

So what does $2.3B look like in the City of Boston? We’ll soon find out. The BRA has just approved seven new projects collectively totaling $2.3 billion.

The Boston Business Journal published a gallery showcasing each of the seven projects. You can view the gallery via the following link: BBJ Slide Show.

 

 

0 South Station Redevelopment: Back to the Drawing Board

South Station in Boston

Credit: Boston Business Journal

The starts and stops at South Station redevelopment – will we see condos or more office space?

A recent article on the BBJ’s website, quotes a senior vice president in Hines’ Boston office:

Seven years after getting permits for a 1.9-million-square-foot mixed-use project anchored by a 47-story office tower, Houston-based developer Hines is headed back to the drawing board. It plans to reduce office space and eliminate a 200-room hotel while increasing the number of residential units, said David Perry, a senior vice president in Hines’ Boston office.

For the full article, head over to the Boston Business Journal.

0 Mayor Menino’s Departure to Impact Boston Real Estate

Credit: Twitter.com @mayortommenino

Should we expect the new mayor of Boston address commercial development differently in the city? YES. We can agree or disagree with Mayor Menino, but change is coming.

The Boston Business Journal alluded to the prospective impact of Mayor Thomas M. Menino’s departure on the Boston real estate market:

“developers are salivating at the prospect that a new mayor will jump-start stalled projects that have been shunned by Mayor Thomas M. Menino…a handful of proposed commercial real estate projects have faced roadblocks at City Hall…But all that could change in January when Menino retires, a move that could also lead to changes at the top of the Boston Redevelopment Authority.”

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

0 Boston Innovation District Adds 200 Companies in Three Years

Map of Boston's innovation district

Photo Credit: innovationdistrict.org

Rents are above $40.00 PSF, vacancy is below 4 percent for Class B space, but the good news is the Innovation District is humming. Companies are willing to pay a premium to be located among their technology peers; as it pertains to recruiting, applicants would much prefer to be there than outside the city.

A Banker & Tradesman report, quoting the Boston Redevelopment Authority, states “in the past three years, more than 200 new companies and 4,000 new jobs have moved to Boston’s Innovation District.”

The article also notes that technology companies are leading the charge, accounting for 30 percent of the area’s new job growth.

For more insight, jump over to Banker & Tradesman’s coverage of the growth of Boston’s Innovation District.

0 Marine Industrial Park to House New Spec Building

6 Tide Street in Boston's Industrial Park

Photo Credit: Boston Business Journal

As rents have continued to rise and vacancy has dropped, landlords are becoming more bullish on the office market future.  Spec buildings, previously considered a thing of the past due to the high cost of construction (compared to the cost of renovating an existing structure) are reemerging in the Hub’s commercial landscape with a new addition to Boston’s marine industrial park.

The Boston Business Journal reported, “Danvers-based Kavanagh Advisory Group is expected to break ground by year’s end on the first new building in six years on the eastern edge of the Hub’s Innovation District.”

Details on the spec building are available on the BBJ’s coverage of the new development at Marine Industrial Park.