BOSTON — An affiliate of The Bulfinch Companies has purchased a 7,200-square-foot retail building in Boston’s Harvard Square neighborhood with plans to reposition the asset as a medical office or life sciences property complete with a rooftop deck. The building has two stories above grade and one below, with floor–to–ceiling windows on the street providing high visibility and ample daylighting. Kellie Coveney and Michael Restivo of JLL represented the seller, a private entity advised by Ella Properties LLC, in the transaction.This acquisition further strengthens Bulfinch’s portfolio in the Cambridge market. Earlier this year, Bulfinch completed a 280,000-square-foot lab building at Cambridge Discovery Park in the Alewife life sciences cluster. Bulfinch is also the manager of Osborn Triangle, a three-property life sciences and biotech development in Cambridge’s Kendall Square neighborhood,
BOSTON — MassHousing has provided $78.8 million in financing for the third phase of the redevelopment of Old Colony, a federal housing development originally built in 1940 in South Boston. The borrower, Beacon Communities LLC, in partnership with the Boston Housing Authority, will demolish 135 older public housing units at the Anne M. Lynch Homes and construct 170 new affordable homes for lower-income families and senior citizens. The project is part of the larger redevelopment of Old Colony, which has thus far added 420 new apartments and townhomes to the local supply.
STONEHAM, MASS. — Rockport Mortgage Corp. has arranged a $32.8 million HUD loan for the refinancing of Mountain View Terrace Apartments, a 194-unit community located in the northern Boston suburb of Stoneham. Built in 1981 and renovated in 2011, the property sits on 8.2 acres and offers one- and two-bedroom apartments as well as three- and four-bedroom townhomes. A portion of the proceeds will be used to fund capital improvements. The owner of the property is 7th AP Co. LP.
CAMBRIDGE, MASS. — Xenia Hotels & Resorts Inc. (NYSE: XHR), a Florida-based REIT, has sold the 221-room Residence Inn by Marriott Boston Cambridge hotel for $107.5 million, or approximately $486,000 per key. The property is located near Harvard University and Kendall Square. The undisclosed buyer acquired the asset at a capitalization rate of 7.8 percent. Xenia will use the $46 million in net proceeds from the sale to repay outstanding debt and for other general corporate purposes.
QUINCY, MASS. — MassHousing has provided a $28.9 million loan for the refinancing of Town Brook House, a 151-unit multifamily community in Quincy, a southern suburb of Boston. The owner and borrower, Wollaston Lutheran Housing Corp., rents the property to senior citizens that qualify for affordable housing status. A portion of the funds will be used for capital improvements. The building was constructed in 1980 and consists of 136 one-bedroom units and 15 two-bedroom units. Amenities include a lounge, common activities area and a communal kitchen. Law firm Nixon Peabody advised the borrower in the transaction.
WORCESTER, MASS. — Marcus & Millichap has brokered the sale of a 301-unit CubeSmart self-storage facility in the central Massachusetts city of Worcester. The property features 19,776 square feet of net rentable climate-controlled space. Nathan Coe, Brett Hatcher, Gabriel Coe and Joseph French Jr. of Marcus & Millichap represented the seller, a limited liability company, in the transaction. The buyer was also an undisclosed limited liability company.
WEST ROXBURY, MASS. — General contractor Callahan Construction Managers has broken ground on Parkway Apartments, a 254-unit multifamily project in West Roxbury, located southwest of Boston. Designed by SK+I Architecture and developed by Lincoln Property Co., the property will consist of two four-story buildings offering a mix of market-rate and affordable units. Amenities will include a pool, fitness center, café, outdoor courtyard and a pet spa. Completion is scheduled for February 2022.
BOSTON — Cornerstone Realty Capital has arranged a $4.4 million construction loan for a nine-unit multifamily project in the Allston neighborhood of Boston. Units will feature granite countertops, custom cabinetry, stainless steel appliances and individual washers and dryers. Andrew Saccone of Cornerstone originated the financing, which was structured with 24 months of interest-only payments and a 30-year amortization schedule. The borrower and direct lender were not disclosed.
BOSTON — Global asset management firm Columbia Threadneedle Investments has signed an office lease for its new headquarters at Atlantic Wharf, a 32-story office building located at 290 Congress St. in downtown Boston. John Boyle, Michael Joyce, Tom O’Regan and Maeve Cleary of Cushman & Wakefield represented the tenant, which expects to move in next summer, in the lease negotiations. Boston Properties owns the building. Columbia Threadneedle employs more than 2,000 people and has offices in 17 countries.
BURLINGTON, MASS. — Azzur Group, a firm that helps life sciences companies start and scale, has signed a 50,300-square-foot office lease in Burlington, located north of Boston. Azzur Group plans to take occupancy of its space at 60 Blanchard Road by summer 2021. Newmark Knight Frank represented the building owner, a partnership between locally based development and investment firm Nordblom Co. and Alcion Ventures, in the lease negotiations. The Stevens Group represented the tenant.