Needham Industrial Park V2.0 | Needham

[whighlander]

Normandy Properties has purchased Needham Industrial Park just off Rt-128 and plans to repurpose it into a Superpark

According to the Jan 26 BBJ
http://www.bizjournals.com/boston/r...lanning-300m-41-acre-superpark-in-needha.html

Normandy planning $300M, 41-acre 'superpark' at former General Dynamics site in Needham
Jan 26, 2015, 1:10pm EST UPDATED: Jan 26, 2015, 1:55pm EST

Normandy Real Estate Partners in late January closed on a 28-acre parcel in Needham off Route 128.


Catherine Carlock
Real Estate Editor-
Boston Business Journal

Normandy Real Estate Partners has plans to expand its existing 13-acre office park in Needham to a 41-acre "superpark," with commercial office space, residential and retail that's designed to be "a catalyst for creativity."

At full buildout, development costs could top $300 million for an additional 450,000 square feet of development, said Mark Roopenian, principal with Normandy Real Estate Partners who handles development and leasing in Massachusetts.

The project stands to benefit from the interchange work going on in Needham as part of the additional lane for 128

"Access and egress from what was once the first master-planned industrial park in the country is going to go from good to spectacular," Roopenian said.

Roopenian said Normandy has additional capacity to develop an additional 450,000 square feet of space, including an additional headquarters-size building or "creative" office space."Our concept is to make these buildings into something that the market has not seen before in terms of its architecture, the interiors, the level of amenities," Roopenian said. "It's all designed to be a catalyst for creativity. ... That could be incubator space, it could also be headquarters, office space."

.....Roopenian said the design of the park is aiming for a Kendall Square-type feel, with a quasi-industrial design featuring high ceilings, abundant natural light and exposed structures such as rafters and air ducting.

"If you have a place that's really live-work-play, you're much more likely to be successful, especially with this new generation of workers," he said.

About one-third of the existing 507,900 square feet will be demolished to make way for residential development, and amenities in the superpark will include fitness centers and up to 20,000 square feet of walkable retail.

"It's not going to be traditional 128 office space," Roopenian said. "Our success here is going to be tied to our ability to bring something to the market which is a little bit different in a way that resonates with today's users."
....

So will this become Kendall on Rt-128 -- and perhaps spur the Neo-Technology Renaissance just parks like Needham Industrial Park spurred the first Technology Renaissance in the 1950's and 1960's

 

[whighlander]

Re: Needham Industrial Park V2.0

Normandy Properties has purchased Needham Industrial Park just off Rt-128 and plans to repurpose it into a Superpark

According to the Jan 26 BBJ
http://www.bizjournals.com/boston/r...lanning-300m-41-acre-superpark-in-needha.html


The project stands to benefit from the interchange work going on in Needham as part of the additional lane for 128



So will this become Kendall on Rt-128 -- and perhaps spur the Neo-Technology Renaissance just parks like Needham Industrial Park spurred the first Technology Renaissance in the 1950's and 1960's

The first concrete realization of the Plan?

the BBJ reports that Trip Advisor will be expanding dramatically
http://www.bizjournals.com/boston/b...sor-may-nearly-double-its-new-needham-hq.html

TripAdvisor may nearly double its new Needham HQ to accommodate 2,500 employees
Jan 29, 2015, 1:12pm EST

David Harris
Tech Editor-
Boston Business Journal

Newton-based travel website TripAdvisor, which is scheduled to move into its new Needham headquarters later this year, may have big expansion plans for its office over the next few years.

The company is establishing its new $120 million 290,000-square-foot headquarters in the 128 East office park to accommodate 1,500 employees, but has the option of expanding that in the next few years to 440,000 square feet to accommodate a total of 2,500 employees, according to TripAdvisor spokesman Kevin Carter......

A big potential motivator for companies like TripAdvisor is the construction of 400 affordable residential units right next to TripAdvisor's headquarters.
"Not only is Needham getting a great tenant that is attracting other companies and service business to the N2 Corridor but it looks like we'll getting a second TripAdvisor building soon which will be paying the town full property taxes from day one," said Greg Reibman, president of the Newton-Needham Chamber of Commerce, in an email.

current Trip Advisor Hq under construction TripAdvisor’s headquarters HQ will include a gym, a common area, and a cafeteria.

Courtesy of Normandy Real Estate Partners.
An artist rendering of TripAdvisor's new headquarters to be built in Needham.