Six Ten @ MIT | 610 Main Street | Cambridge - Kendall Sq

Shepard

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 20, 2009
Messages
3,518
Reaction score
65
Posted on UHub... also relevant to the discussion of Vertex moving to Fan Pier. Go the original Uhub post for hypertext links:

Vertex moves out, Pfizer moves in
By Cynic - 2/1/11 - 1:57 pm
The pharmaceutical giant Pfizer is looking to consolidate its two Cambridge locations into a single, more centrally-located facility. FierceBiotech reports. The company said in a release that it plans to "enhance its presence" in Cambridge, and to shift "selected resources" up from Groton. That, presumably, translates to more high-caliber biotech jobs for the Boston area. Pfizer already ranked as the tenth-largest employer in Cambridge last year, with 1,300 workers.

The news emerged in an interview John Carroll scored with Pfizer's worldwide head of R&D, Mikael Dolsten. It comes a week after Vertex Pharmaceuticals announced it had extracted a lavish package of benefits and incentives from Boston and the state in exchange for consolidating its operations into two new buildings on the Fan Pier, something it had in any event long wanted to do. And it underscores the way in which Cambridge, over the past few years, has benefited from long-term shifts within the pharmaceutical industry.

Pfizer is not the only multinational looking to break ground in Cambridge. Novartis recently announced its plan for a $600 million expansion, featuring a 140-ft tower designed by Maya Lin, to house an additional 300 workers. That development may now be dwarfed by Pfizer's plans. (As part of its R&D reorganization, Pfizer will also close some Cambridge units, but it will still post a substantial net gain in jobs. It had already said that, as it consolidates, it will exit its space in the old Model-A Ford Tire Factory on Memorial Drive.) The moves reflect an industry struggling with a lack of blockbuster products in its pipeline, which is looking to leverage relationships with research institutions to spread costs, identify new targets, and apply new approaches. That makes the concentration of academic and research institutions in Cambridge - and across the river - uniquely attractive.

There is a sad footnote to this piece of great news for the Hub. Pfizer will be shuttering its facility in Sandwich, England, and slashing more than 1,100 jobs from its facilities in Groton and New London. (Some of those jobs will relocate to Cambridge.) The two Connecticut cities lured the multinational giant to their derelict waterfront districts with lavish incentives, controversially clearing away existing neighborhoods, and trumpeted their new role in the innovation economy. But, it would seem, supporting a high density of academic and research institutions provides a better and more lasting path to economic growth.
 
Re: Cambridge Developments

some interesting reading:
http://tech.mit.edu/V130/N63/inshort/MIT_2010_Town_Gown_Report.pdf

Article on town/gown
What?s down with Town Gown
Greening, MIT 150, real estate discussed at meeting
By Ethan A. Solomon
EDITOR IN CHIEF
February 4, 2011
Every year, some of MIT?s most important administrators stand before the people of Cambridge. The City, which is largely defined by its universities, asks that Harvard, MIT, Lesley University, and Cambridge College give annual public Town Gown reports about what each institution has been doing for the last 365 days and what the future has in store. Because in a city of slightly over 100,000 people, it?s no small wonder that some of the nation?s largest, richest, and most influential schools have a big impact on how this town works.

Theresa M. Stone SM ?76, MIT?s executive vice president and treasurer, began the presentation before the Cambridge Planning Board and a public audience at the Citywide Senior Center this past Tuesday. Topping her list of MIT?s most notable recent initiatives was the ongoing MIT 150 celebration. In speaking of Institute activities that have the most relevance to the rest of Cambridge, Stone emphasized the April 30 MIT 150 ?Open House? ? an opportunity for the general public to ?explore [MIT?s] labs and offices.? The Open House coincides with the first day of the Cambridge Science Festival, and jointly, the events are intended to ?showcase Cambridge as an international leader in science, technology, engineering, and math.?

GreeningMIT, the Institute?s latest sustainability program, also shared the spotlight. Stone noted to the Planning Board that MIT?s collaboration with NStar to reduce MIT?s electrical use by 15 percent beat its first-year goal by about 30 percent, or 13 million kilowatt-hours. She also highlighted MIT?s all-time low single-occupancy vehicle rate (SOV). An SOV rate describes the percentage of people who commute to MIT ? for work or study ? and drive alone the entire way. Since 2002, MIT?s SOV dropped from 27 percent to 20 percent, with other commuters carpooling, biking, walking, or taking public transportation.

But MIT?s impact on the City of Cambridge goes well beyond the borders of campus proper. Steven C. Marsh, Managing Director of Real Estate at the MIT Investment Management Company (MITIMCo), updated the City on MIT?s investment property across the city. Investment property is owned by MIT but often leased to clients so that the buildings can be used for retail or laboratory space. MITIMCo has secured a number of new leases and letters of intent, which indicate that lease negotiations are in progress:

640 Memorial Drive. MIT executed a lease with Sanofi-Aventis, an international pharmaceutical company, to move their oncology headquarters to half of this building, located past the far western edge of campus. Sanofi-Aventis will make the move this fall.

281 Albany Street. After renovations, MIT executed a lease with Aileron Therapeutics, which now occupies the building.

177 Massachusetts Ave. As part of MIT?s mission to support an ?innovation cluster? in this area, MIT has leased the Analog Devices building and adjacent lots to the Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, across the street from their existing campus. Novartis will invest $600 million into the construction of laboratory and office space at the location, in addition to ground-floor retail space. MIT Building N42 (IS&T Helpdesk) has also been leased as part of this deal.

300 Massachusetts Ave. In conjunction with Forest City Boston, MIT will develop the property north of Random Hall ? part of the block between Blanche and Landsdowne Streets ? into an office and laboratory facility with ground-floor retail space. The Tech reported last December that the existing buildings there, including Thailand Cafe, All Asia, J.N. Philips Auto Glass, and MIT Building NW62, would be demolished, and that new construction could begin as early as December 2011.

450 Massachusetts Ave. Veggie Galaxy, a vegetarian and vegan restaurant, will move in to some of the currently vacant ground-floor space at the building occupied by the Central Square Theater. Next door, a letter of intent has been signed with Moksa, which will offer street-style Asian food.

1 Broadway St. A ground-floor lease has been signed with Firebrand Saints, a restaurant and bar which will feature seasonal outdoor seating. Another letter of intent for the property has been signed with Venture Cafe, which aims to ?provide a resource for the Boston entrepreneurial and innovation communities? and ?enable fresh and useful conversations,? according to its website. Currently, the Venture Cafe is a weekly event held on the 4th floor of 1 Broadway. Venture Cafe is ?most of the way through negotiating a lease,? according to its blog.

610 Main St. Currently a surface parking lot, MIT has proposed the construction of a building which will house 418,000 square feet of laboratory and office space at this property near Technology Square. According to the Town Gown report, MIT plans to start construction when an anchor tenant is secured.

MIT wrapped up their presentation with a 3D Google Earth flyover of locations set for future expansion and recently completed construction projects on campus. The 2010 Town Gown report is available at http://tech.mit.edu/V130/N63/inshort/MIT_2010_Town_Gown_Report.pdf.

http://tech.mit.edu/V131/N2/towngown.html
 
Re: Cambridge Developments

I don't recall previously seeing any information about this proposed office/lab building at 610 Main St. Taken from the Town/Gown report:

jrsm5x.jpg
 
Re: Cambridge Developments

Surprise, it's high tech, boring, and adds nothing to the streetscape.
 
Re: Cambridge Developments

Actually, it adds a sidewalk roof, which I approve of
 
Re: Cambridge Developments

Actually, it adds a sidewalk roof, which I approve of
It's good for the Greenpeace Canvassers to stand under during a rainy day. That way, when the passers by reject them, at least they'll be dry.
 
Re: Cambridge Developments

I would approve of a sidewalk roof too, if it were actually doing something to attract pedestrians beyond the people who'll work there (and let me guess: there will be underground parking anyway).
 
Re: Cambridge Developments

It'll be a lot better than what's there. Currently a 1 story and 2 story building (both vacant) a parking lot occupy the area.
 
Re: Cambridge Developments

It'll be a lot better than what's there. Currently a 1 story and 2 story building (both vacant) a parking lot occupy the area.

Some would rather curse the dark than light a candle.
 
Re: Cambridge Developments

Can I curse the darkness and bitch about the low quality light the candle puts out?
 
Re: Cambridge Developments

Slap a LEED plaque on this bitch and all of a sudden fanboys will be humping those over-sized columns like overly excited puppies.
 
Re: Cambridge Developments

Who are the fanboys? Does anyone actually love these soulless 21st century factories just because they're LEED certified?
 
Re: Cambridge Developments

Who are the fanboys? Does anyone actually love these soulless 21st century factories just because they're LEED certified?

Throw a LEED plaque on a fire pit full of burning tires and some lemmings will start praising it for being 'green'.

"Burning tires is green because it reduces the volume of waste added to landfills!"

See wasn't that easy?
 
Re: Cambridge Developments

More Big Pharma in Kendall Sq.

from MHT and " Boston Business Journal by Julie M. Donnelly
Date: Thursday, September 1, 2011, 11:38am EDT

Pfizer Inc. will bring 400 research jobs to a new research and development center in Cambridge, which will include moving scientists from other locations, and new hiring.

...new building in development at MIT.

Pfizer has entered into a 10-year lease agreement with the university for more than 180,000 square feet in the building, located at 610 Main Street South in Kendall Square. "

I think there is an old Polaroid 1+ story industrial building on the site accross the street from Tech Sq.
with a name like Phizer this is a high profile project at a high profile location

It may need its own thread to compete with Novartis
 
Re: Cambridge Developments

http://bostonherald.com/business/real_estate/view.bg?articleid=1362996&srvc=business&position=3

I thought this was the parking lot site, on Main st., just west of Albany St.

Stell ... You could be right

then again when I Google Mapped 610 Main St., Cambridge -- It came up pointing to the corner of Mass Ave and Albany

when I tried 618 Main St., Cambridge - it pointed to the entryway of the old Polaroid bdg.

http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&tab=wl&q=618 Main Street Cambridge 02139
 
Re: Cambridge Developments

Yeah, 610 Main Street is the parking lot adjacent to the former Shire site and bounded by Main, Albany and Portland Streets. There have been crews drilling sampling wells all summer. I'd wager it's for the site's environmental site assessment.
 
Re: Cambridge Developments

Well -- i guess both I and Google Maps were in error

The website is quite impressive for a "spec building" in these times

left a lot out:
1) actually how big is it
2) it seems to have 2 parts -- are they being built at once or in phases
3) how much of it is dedicated to Pfizer
4) seems awkward with all that glitz -- to leave the old Polaroid building sitting there next to it
5) several companies omited from the impressive map of "neighbors" -- Draper, Mitsubishi, Akmai, Schlumberger, Volpe Center
 

Back
Top