Tag Archives: Bus Tour

Boston’s Game-Changing CRE Developments on Display at 2014 NAIOP MA Bus Tour

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The following blog post was submitted by David Fleming, Principal at PACE Communications Group, a marketing firm that works with CRE companies to promote properties and help lease space.

Elisif_20140514_6876The 2014 NAIOP Massachusetts Bus Tour,“Changing the Game in Boston Real Estate” lived up to its name as attendees got an up close look at game-changing development projects across the city. The tour covered dozens of new and redevelopment projects in Allston, Brighton, the Fenway, Back Bay, the South End, and the Seaport/Innovation District.

Here are just a few highlights:

Game-Changer in Brighton: NB Development’s Boston Landing

Elisif_20140514_6950The tour kicked off in Brighton as attendees watched a presentation on NB Development’s exciting new Boston Landing project. NB Development Group managing director Jim Halliday, HYM Investment Group founder Tom O’Brien, founding principal of Elkus Manfredi Architects, David Manfredi, and others provided an overview of the spectacular transit-oriented, mixed-use project.

When complete, Boston Landing will feature 650,000 square feet of office, 180 hotel rooms, 65,000 square feet of retail, a world-class indoor track facility, a dedicated MBTA commuter rail station, and significant public space. A game-changer in Brighton, for sure.

Skanska & WS Development Star at Seaport Square

Elisif_20140514_7068At the Boston Innovation/Seaport District, attendees visited another game-changer, Seaport Square. Here, Skanska USA is building three projects totaling close to 1.2 million square feet. Project partner WS Development is responsible for bringing the ground level retail to each building.

Brian Sciera of WS Development explained the company’s mission at Seaport Square is to create energy and excitement where buildings meet the street. To WS Development, energy means retail. And, fashion retail, in particular.

“The backbone of any good retail district is its fashion component,” said Sciera. “Fashion brings that energy to the street by driving interaction between people and buildings.”

Sciera said WS Development is in discussion with several well-known retailers, but was not at liberty to disclose names.

The Skanska USA buildings at Seaport Square are:

  • 101 Seaport: located on Parcel L1 across from the Boston Innovation Center, the office tower will be the new Boston headquarters for PwC
  • 121 Seaport: located onParcel L2,the 17-storybuilding willconsist of 400,000 RSF of office space and ground level retail
  • Watermark Seaport: located on Parcel K, the project will consist of a six-story building and 17-story residential tower, including 346 luxury rental units and 25,000 square feet of retail (Watermark Seaport is a JV with Twining Properties)

Fenway’s Other Big Papi: Samuels & Associates

Elisif_20140514_7119When you’re talking about development in the Fenway Triangle, you’re talking Samuels & Associates. With more than $1 billion invested in the neighborhood, Samuels is Fenway’s other Big Papi.

Just down Boylston Street from The Trilogy and 1330 Boylston, the NAIOP tour buses rolled by Samuels’ latest two projects: The Van Ness and The Verb. The Van Ness is a 22-story, 320-unit apartment building that’s under construction and will be home to downtown Boston’s first Target. And, recently underway, The Verb is a 43,000-square-foot boutique hotel project at the site of the former Howard Johnson’s.

At the Landmark Center, bus tour attendees were treated to lunch by area favorite Tasty Burger. Samuels’ Joel Sklar and Peter Sougarides were onhand to discuss the company’s Landmark Center expansion project, which they described as a complete “rethinking of the former Sears building.” In addition to renovating the interior, updating infrastructure, and removing the above ground parking garage, Samuels plans to create a “world class food market” anchored by Wegman’s.

By adding the Landmark Center expansion to development projects The Van Ness and The Verb, Fenway’s other Big Papi has struck again.

A Game-Changing Tour

Elisif_20140514_7224Highlighted by Boston Landing, Seaport Square, and the new Fenway Triangle projects, NAIOP Massachusetts’ “Changing the Game in Boston Real Estate” bus tour lived up to its name—and then some.

NAIOP Bus Tour: 10 Facts Learned on the Trial Run

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The following blog post was submitted by Duncan Gratton, Senior Managing Director, Principal at Cassidy Turley FHO.

This year marks the 10th Anniversary of NAIOP’s Bus Tour, and as the Vice President of the Bus Tour Committee, I had a hand in planning and designing it. The 2012 Bus Tour, What’s Big and Breaking in Greater Boston, is a fast-paced live market update on some of the most dynamic markets in the area, including Boston’s Seaport, Fenway, Longwood and Cambridge.

The actual date of the Bus Tour is May 2, but this week – along with Bus Tour Captains and NAIOP staff – I went on a dry run of the route. We saw a lot of projects breaking ground and learned several interesting facts from the knowledgeable Bus Tour Captains! Here are the ten I found most interesting:

  1. The largest private construction project in the US is located at Fan Pier. The Vertex buildings are 1,100,000 SF and $900,000,000!
  2. Three of the largest academic/medical clusters in the US are located in Boston. They are:MGH/Partners

    Longwood Medical/Harvard

    Boston Medical Center/Boston University

  3. Kendall Square in Cambridge was supposed to be the original site of NASA. After JFK was assassinated, Lyndon Johnson became President and being from Texas, he chose Houston as the new location.
  4. Boston University is one of the largest landlords in Back Bay/Fenway. They control over 1,000,000 SF of commercial and non-academic real estate.
  5. There are three new life science buildings under construction in Kendall Square (Pfizer, Novartis and Broad Institute) and two new office buildings (Biogen Idec). All are 100% leased.
  6. Rents in Kendall Square and the Seaport District have jumped over 10% in the last 12 months.
  7. New apartment construction is booming – at least six new projects are underway or about to start in Boston!
  8. New Balance has announced plans for four new buildings at Brighton Landing, including a new 250,000 SF world headquarters building. In addition, they are planning a 345,000 SF sports facility that will include a hockey rink and track.
  9. Harvard is constructing an ‘Innovation Lab’ in the former WGBH buildings on Western Avenue in Allston.
  10. Boston University has announced that construction will commence this summer on a new lacrosse stadium on Babcock Street, thanks in part to a $3,000,000 donation from New Balance.

I hope you will join us on May 2 to learn more about What’s Big and Breaking in Greater Boston. Get a sneak peek of what’s in store.

Windshield Tour of Boston’s Four Hottest Markets

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What if you could get to know a key sector of the Greater Boston commercial real estate market in a half day?  How would you like to get in-depth insight and analysis on existing and proposed development projects, and the latest sales, lease, and development activity? 

You can do this on October 6th at the NAIOP Massachusetts Annual Bus Tour: “Markets in Transition: Today’s Projects and Tomorrow’s Opportunities.” 

Networking at NAIOP Bus Tour

If you never have participated in one of these tours, you are missing out on a great opportunity to understand what is happening in the market from the leading brokers in the area. The 2010 NAIOP Bus Tour will visit Boston’s Seaport area, Cambridge, North Inner Suburbs, and Waltham.  

You’ll be able to ask the experts questions, while networking with the region’s owners, investors, developers, brokers and real estate professionals. 

Contact Pauline Rand at 781-453-6900 ext. 4 or rand@naiopma.org or visit our website to register today.