WATERTOWN, MASS. — Boylston Properties and J.P. Morgan Global Alternatives have received a $150 million loan from Northwestern Mutual for the refinancing of 100 Forge, a life sciences building located in Arsenal Yards in Watertown, approximately nine miles west of Boston. The nine-story, 165,600-square-foot building opened in January and is now fully occupied by five life sciences companies: Abata Therapeutics, Remix Therapeutics, Mariana Oncology, Vigil Neuroscience and Affini-T Therapeutics. Ayers Saint Gross designed the building. The owners will use the funds to pay off a construction loan sourced from Bank OZK in 2021. JLL Capital Markets arranged the refinancing, with Northwestern Mutual as the lender. The life sciences campus at Arsenal Yards now includes 10 life sciences businesses across three buildings: 100 Forge, 500 Forge and 200 Arsenal Yards Blvd. In addition to owning the properties, Boylston is also the property manager. Arsenal Yards and its proximity to Cambridge and Boston creates a unique urban-suburban experience for life sciences users, according to Boylston. There are dozens of restaurants, bars, shops and fitness studios nearby, as well as a hotel, grocery store, movie theater, childcare services, apartments and open outdoor spaces. “Despite the significant headwinds experienced this year, greater Boston is …
Massachusetts
CAMBRIDGE, MASS. — Locally based developer King Street Properties has completed a $170 million life sciences project located at 101 Cambridgepark Drive in Cambridge. King Street partnered with California-based Healthpeak Properties on the 160,000-square-foot project, which features both traditional office and laboratory space within a five-story building. The property also includes 3,000 square feet of street-level retail space with outdoor seating. Dimella Shaffer served as the architect of the project, which opened fully preleased. Consigli Construction Co. served as the general contractor.
BOSTON — New York City-based real estate giant Tishman Speyer has received $750 million in construction financing for Phase I of Harvard Enterprise Research Campus, a 900,000-square-foot mixed-use project that will be located in the Allston neighborhood of Boston. Phase I of the development will consist of two life sciences buildings totaling 440,000 square feet, a 343-unit apartment complex and a hotel, all of which will be developed on a nine-acre parcel. Tishman Speyer is developing the project in partnership with the Harvard Allston Land Co. The site is adjacent to the Harvard Business School and Harvard Science & Engineering Complex in Allston. Breakthrough Properties, a joint venture of Tishman Speyer and Bellco Capital, will oversee the development, operations and leasing of the life sciences component. Tishman Speyer will also develop a conference facility on behalf of Harvard University. Within the multifamily component, 25 percent of the units will be designated as affordable housing for households earning between 30 and 100 percent of the area median income. At full build-out, Enterprise Research Campus will also include retail and restaurant space, as well as two acres of open green space that will host farmers markets, live music and outdoor fitness classes. …
LOWELL, MASS. — Regional brokerage firm Northeast Private Client Group (NEPCG) has negotiated the $12.8 million sale of Willard Street Apartments, a 72-unit multifamily complex in Lowell, a northern suburb of Boston. The three-building property houses three studios, 24 one-bedroom units and 45 two-bedroom apartments. Francis Saenz, Drew Kirkland, Jim Casey, Brad Carlson and Brett Curtis represented the seller and procured the buyer, both of which requested anonymity, in the transaction. The new ownership plans to implement a value-add program.
EVERETT, MASS. — A partnership between two locally based developers, RISE and btcRE, will build a 46-unit multifamily project at 52 School St. in Everett, a northern suburb of Boston. The four-story building will feature a mix of studio, one- and two-bedroom units, and seven residences will be reserved for renters earning 80 percent or less of the area median income. Needham Bank provided financing for the construction of the project, which is scheduled to begin in the third quarter.
SOMERVILLE, MASS. — The Preservation of Affordable Housing (POAH) has broken ground on Phase I of Clarendon Hill, a multifamily redevelopment project in the northern Boston suburb of Somerville that will add 168 affordable housing units to the local supply. The entire development, which is located on Powder House Boulevard, will ultimately consist of 591 units. Phase I will feature 41 one-bedroom apartments, 121 two-bedroom residences and six three-bedroom units that will be reserved for residents earning between 30 and 80 percent of the area median income. Bank of America provided construction financing for the project, which is being developed in partnership with the Somerville Community Corp. and the Somerville Housing Authority. Phase I is slated for a fall 2024 completion. Clarendon Hill was originally built in 1948 as a residence for veterans returning from WWII. MassHousing also provided financing to fund renovations and preserve the property’s affordability status.
DEDHAM, MASS. — JLL has arranged a $190 million loan for the refinancing of Legacy Place, a 675,000-square-foot shopping center in Dedham, a southwestern suburb of Boston. Whole Foods Market, The Apple Store, L.L. Bean and Showcase Cinemas anchor the center, which was built in phases between 2008 and 2009 and renovated between 2020 and 2022. Other tenants include Nike, Athleta, Industrious, Shake Shack, Lululemon, Sephora, Sweetgreen and Yard House. The property sits on a 37-acre site at the corner of I-95 and U.S. Route 1 within a trade area that totals more than 1.3 million people. A syndicate of lenders consisting of Wells Fargo and Truist provided the financing to the borrower, a partnership between Boston-based WS Development and Nuveen Real Estate. Brett Paulsrud, Henry Schaffer, Hugh Doherty, Chris Angelone and Zach Nitsche of JLL arranged the debt. Specific loan terms were not disclosed. According to the capital markets team that worked on the deal, Whole Foods is the most highly trafficked store in Massachusetts for the Austin-based grocer, and Legacy Place as a whole is the most visited lifestyle center in New England. “This transaction further proves that in spite of macroeconomic headwinds, large-format retail properties in premier …
EAST LONGMEADOW, MASS. — New York City-based ShopOne Centers REIT Inc. has acquired Heritage Park Plaza, a 117,337-square-foot retail property in East Longmeadow, located in Hampden County in western Massachusetts. Grocer Stop & Shop anchors the property, which was 98 percent leased at the time of sale. Other tenants at Heritage Park Plaza include Petco, orangetheory Fitness, Panera Bread, Dollar Tree, Pure Barre, 99 Restaurant & Pub and H & R Block. ShopOne Centers acquired the asset in a joint venture with Pantheon Group and an undisclosed institutional investor. The seller was also not disclosed.
NORTH ATTLEBOROUGH, MASS. — Marcus & Millichap has arranged the $7 million sale of a 48,000-square-foot industrial property in North Attleborough, located outside of Providence in the southern part of the Bay State. The property was built on seven acres in 2006 and features clear heights of 19 to 21 feet, 16 drive-in doors and 68 car parking spots. At the time of sale, the property was leased to tenants such as Tri-Alpha Gymnastics, Fastenal Co., Autopart International and Red Herring Motion Picture Lighting Inc. Harrison Klein and James Manning of Marcus & Millichap represented the seller and procured the buyer, both of which were private investors that requested anonymity, in the transaction.
BURLINGTON, MASS. — Newmark has arranged a 7,397-square-foot office and life sciences lease in Burlington, a northwestern suburb of Boston. The tenant, medical imaging services provider UII America Inc., has committed to leasing space at Blue Sky Center, a 158-acre campus. Matt Malatesta, Tyler McGrail, Michael Frisoli and Margaret Fee of Newmark represented the owner, Nordblom Co., in the lease negotiations. Malatesta and Dave Townsend, also with Newmark, represented the tenant. Amenities at Blue Sky Center include a fitness center, café, basketball court, gaming area and a golf simulator.