The Hub on Causeway (née TD Garden Towers) | 80 Causeway Street | West End

Re: The Boston Garden (TD Garden Towers) | 80 Causeway Street | West End

Bergeron37 said:
Yeah I have a hard time seeing the benefits of the Cambridge Discovery Park vs. Boston Garden development. Both have easy access to major public transit and both are terrible locations if you need to drive (Rt. 2 is a fucking nightmare). Alewife should have been master-planned, all the apartments (with the exception of Atmark) are on the wrong side of the tracks from retail/restaurants/Whole Foods.
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There's a whole thread for this (so I won't go into detail), but it WAS master planned. It was a bad master plan, and Cambridge has pretty roundly ignored it.
 
Re: The Boston Garden (TD Garden Towers) | 80 Causeway Street | West End

John,

If I was Akamai I would go to Cambridge Discovery Park [Rt-2 @ Alewife] coincidentally they are permitted for up to 600,000 sq ft in new construction

This would be the best of all worlds:
on the Red Line
on Rt-2 for the suburban types
locally a substantial amount of new constructed / being constructed housing -- both apartments and condos
ability to have a campus with several buildings to divide up the functions
only downside is that you need to take the Red Line to get to Kendall
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Tech industry guy here. Akamai is competing with other tech companies for local software engineering talent. Most tech talent doesn't want to travel outside of Kendall/Central area or Boston proper. I know, because I work for a company in the burbs right now and we have a hell of a time recruiting Boston/Cambridge talent. Further, if I was looking for a new job then short of Akamai throwing money at me head over foot I'd work in a place that is located in a more premium location.

Edit:

Average turn over in the software development industry is something absurd like 14 months so having a location that is desirable is essential because you constantly need to be attracting fresh talent.
 
Re: The Boston Garden (TD Garden Towers) | 80 Causeway Street | West End

whighlander said:
  • ability to have a campus with several buildings to divide up the functions
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But Akamai wants to integrate its functions. You're suggesting a very suburban, old Silicon Valley company in wanting to do that siloed suburban tech campus approach and that's just not Akamai's mentality.

My boyfriend used to do HR recruiting at Akamai and I still have friends who work there; the two buildings at Kendall now sometimes make it difficult to collaborate, even if they are a primarily digital company and many of their interactions are via remote conference calls.

I agree with you on the other points, but this particular point isn't something that jibes with what I know about the company. North Station isn't ideal, but downtown is where more of the development they're looking for is actually growing.

Personally, I'd rather see more tech companies move inward - when I came to Boston in 2009, everyone who was anyone wanted me to drive out to their suburban campus to work. I now work for a PR firm who moved downtown 3 years ago from Andover to attract younger talent.

I'd love to see Akamai be an anchor tenant for the Boston Garden office tower (and so would my friends at Akamai who live in downtown Boston).

Edit: Ditto on Meddlepal - turnover is high and many companies who need fresh talent are choosing to move closer to the core because of this.
 
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Re: The Boston Garden (TD Garden Towers) | 80 Causeway Street | West End

meddlepal said:
Tech industry guy here. Akamai is competing with other tech companies for local software engineering talent. Most tech talent doesn't want to travel outside of Kendall/Central area or Boston proper. I know, because I work for a company in the burbs right now and we have a hell of a time recruiting Boston/Cambridge talent. Further, if I was looking for a new job then short of Akamai throwing money at me head over foot I'd work in a place that is located in a more premium location.

Edit:

Average turn over in the software development industry is something absurd like 14 months so having a location that is desirable is essential because you constantly need to be attracting fresh talent.
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Very interesting perspective...thanks!

If what you say is being considered industry-wide, maybe we'll see more & more companies heading into the urban core.
 
Re: The Boston Garden (TD Garden Towers) | 80 Causeway Street | West End

DigitalSciGuy said:
But Akamai wants to integrate its functions. You're suggesting a very suburban, old Silicon Valley company in wanting to do that siloed suburban tech campus approach and that's just not Akamai's mentality.

My boyfriend used to do HR recruiting at Akamai and I still have friends who work there; the two buildings at Kendall now sometimes make it difficult to collaborate, even if they are a primarily digital company and many of their interactions are via remote conference calls.

I agree with you on the other points, but this particular point isn't something that jibes with what I know about the company. North Station isn't ideal, but downtown is where more of the development they're looking for is actually growing.

Personally, I'd rather see more tech companies move inward - when I came to Boston in 2009, everyone who was anyone wanted me to drive out to their suburban campus to work. I now work for a PR firm who moved downtown 3 years ago from Andover to attract younger talent.

I'd love to see Akamai be an anchor tenant for the Boston Garden office tower (and so would my friends at Akamai who live on Bowdin and Tremont Streets).

Edit: Ditto on Meddlepal - turnover is high and many companies who need fresh talent are choosing to move closer to the core because of this.
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Digi -- its a debate right now as many options are opening for High Tech / Biotech companies:
  • traditional suburban or exurban campus such as Cisco or EMC
  • new sub-urban style -- suburban large footprints, urban amenities -- e.g. Trip Advisor
  • traditional urban heaps of Gnurds -- e.g. Kendall with Google, Microsoft, etc.
  • Seaport / Innovation District, or on the fringes such as Fort Point -- e.g. Rethink Robotics
  • the new Alewife
  • newer urban clusters -- e.g. DTX and Financial -- e.g. Paypal?
  • other urban office areas -- e.g. new CVS Innovation center on Huntington across from the Pru
  • ?? North Station ??

Alewife today is a bit like Kendall was in the AI Alley era but it is in a rapid transition to the Kendall of the last decade

15 years ago I did some work with a company in Cambridge that was growing so fast that in 1 year it moved twice and was exploring its options for a 3rd move when it all burst

By the way near North Station -- was One of the places that was being explored for the new growth phase that never came about when the music stopped and there were more chairs than players
 
Re: The Boston Garden (TD Garden Towers) | 80 Causeway Street | West End

This part of the Akamai press release concerned me:

"As one of the largest technology companies that is headquartered here in Massachusetts, our intentions are to keep Akamai's headquarters within the state," Akamai said in a prepared statement. "Over the longer term, our goal is to find a location that is both economical, as well as one that will provide a vibrant community for our employees. ... As we look forward, we are considering the space options that will best allow the company to support its growth, and allow our employees to be the most productive."
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Is that a hint they'll want a tax break?
 
Re: The Boston Garden (TD Garden Towers) | 80 Causeway Street | West End

JohnAKeith said:
This part of the Akamai press release concerned me:



Is that a hint they'll want a tax break?
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I honestly think it's a stretch to jump to that kind of conclusion based off that basic statement. Economical can simply mean they want more space for their money and don't necessarily wish to break the bank on class A office space in the CBD.
 
Re: The Boston Garden (TD Garden Towers) | 80 Causeway Street | West End

datadyne007 said:
I honestly think it's a stretch to jump to that kind of conclusion based off that basic statement. Economical can simply mean they want more space for their money and don't necessarily wish to break the bank on class A office space in the CBD.
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Think Tripadvisor

http://www.bostonglobe.com/business...ers-needham/OtmoJKxD5tVCmRDFJ4Ue1I/story.html

Fast-growing TripAdvisor is leaving Newton

Lease in Needham, where it started, lets company more than double space

ELKUS MANFREDI ARCHITECTS

TripAdvisor will be the anchor of Center 128, an office park in Needham near Route 128 that is being redeveloped.

By Gail Waterhouse GLOBE CORRESPONDENT JUNE 25, 2013
It’s official: TripAdvisor Inc. is moving back home.

The world’s largest travel website, founded in Needham in 2000, is expected to announce Tuesday that it will be leaving its current headquarters in Newton in 2015. The company signed a long-term lease that will give it more than 280,000 square feet of space in Needham, more than double the size of the 119,000-square-foot office it currently occupies....

TripAdvisor will be the anchor of Center 128, an office park in Needham near Route 128 that is being redeveloped. The custom-built office, with green space in front and an amphitheater-shaped courtyard, may help draw other companies to the park, which has 830,000 square feet of space available for development.
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by the way Needham has offered a break on the local taxes to sweeten the deal

http://ir.tripadvisor.com/releasedetail.cfm?releaseid=804186
November 4, 2013
TripAdvisor Breaks Ground On New Global Headquarters
World's Largest Travel Site Moving to 282,000 Square-Foot Campus in Needham, Massachusetts in 2015
NEWTON, Mass., Nov. 4, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- TripAdvisor Inc. (NASDAQ: TRIP), the world's largest travel site*, together with Normandy Real Estate Partners today broke ground on its new global headquarters at Center 128 in Needham, Mass. Set to open in mid-2015, the 282,000 square-foot campus will more than double the size of the company's current space in Newton. The office headquarters will provide space to accommodate 1,500 employees including 400 new hires across engineering, product management, marketing, and sales.....

"We're very excited about returning to our Needham roots where TripAdvisor got its start 13 years ago," said Steve Kaufer, CEO and co-founder of TripAdvisor. "Our remarkable size and scale is a true testament to the hard work of our dedicated employees and we're thrilled to create a state-of-the-art campus that will help foster innovation as we continue to grow globally." ....

"From day one it has been a pleasure to collaborate with TripAdvisor in designing and planning this beautiful building and setting the stage for this very exciting development," said David Welsh, Founder and Managing Principal of Normandy Real Estate Partners. "Center 128 is a testament to the spirit, creative energy and tremendous renewal that is taking place across greater Boston. We look forward to working with the talented team at TripAdvisor in building on the future of Center 128 as an exceptional and sustainable workplace."

TripAdvisor's building, which will be known as 400 First Avenue, will be the first of four office buildings in the mixed-use campus being developed by Normandy Real Estate Partners.
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Re: The Boston Garden (TD Garden Towers) | 80 Causeway Street | West End

Very interesting perspective...thanks!

If what you say is being considered industry-wide, maybe we'll see more & more companies heading into the urban core.
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I think you'll see increasing movement from suburban companies to move core groups closer to urban cores. Core groups would mean business units that research, design or implement core products or future technology. This is the Google/Microsoft/Amazon model where branches are established in places like Manhattan, Cambridge etc.

For what it's worth, my company was waffling with this issue not too long ago... we just didn't pull the trigger for a variety of complicated reasons.
 
Re: The Boston Garden (TD Garden Towers) | 80 Causeway Street | West End

meddlepal said:
I think you'll see increasing movement from suburban companies to move core groups closer to urban cores. Core groups would mean business units that research, design or implement core products or future technology. This is the Google/Microsoft/Amazon model where branches are established in places like Manhattan, Cambridge etc.

For what it's worth, my company was waffling with this issue not too long ago... we just didn't pull the trigger for a variety of complicated reasons.
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As I posted above -- the traditional models are breaking down with companies moving both in and out to optimize both the workforce / commute accessibility and branding / visibility while allowing for growth and cost control

Once again -- the latest from the booming Tripadvisor

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

1104tripadvisor*600xx458-305-112-0.jpg


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



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.

TripAdvisor (Nasdaq: TRIP) currently employs 2,700 people worldwide.

Normandy Real Estate Partners, which is developing TripAdvisor's headquarters, 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. A big potential motivator for companies like TripAdvisor is the construction of 400 affordable residential units right next to TripAdvisor's headquarters.
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By the way -- Tripadvisor pays fairly well

http://www.salarylist.com/company/TripAdvisor-Salary.htm
TripAdvisor Salary
TripAdvisor average salary is $86,761, median salary is $81,973 with a salary range from $44,096 to $192,525.
TripAdvisor salaries are collected from government agencies and companies.
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Re: The Boston Garden (TD Garden Towers) | 80 Causeway Street | West End

WOOOOOOO!!!! More traffic on 128!!! WOOOOO!!!! Awesome!!!!
But, hooray for new jobs anyways.
 
Re: The Boston Garden (TD Garden Towers) | 80 Causeway Street | West End

Why are you harping on TripAdviser? They are moving a mile down the road from their current location because they need more space. How is that relevant?
 
Re: The Boston Garden (TD Garden Towers) | 80 Causeway Street | West End

Justin7 said:
Why are you harping on TripAdviser? They are moving a mile down the road from their current location because they need more space. How is that relevant?
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Companies should not grow ... or succeed. Its bad for the economy.:rolleyes:

cca
 
Re: The Boston Garden (TD Garden Towers) | 80 Causeway Street | West End

SeamusMcFly said:
WOOOOOOO!!!! More traffic on 128!!! WOOOOO!!!! Awesome!!!!
But, hooray for new jobs anyways.
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Not all companies can be located adjacent to public transit. Even if they are, there will always be a segment of their employees that simply prefer to drive to work. Plus, the area of Kendrick and Highland Ave will be much improved come 2018 when the widening project is done. New on/off ramps at Kendrick street and a rebuilt Highland Ave exit will go a long way to making things smoother. Short of rebuilding the Pike interchange, there's nothing else that can be done to improve traffic.
 
Re: The Boston Garden (TD Garden Towers) | 80 Causeway Street | West End

The last on-topic post was back at #804, when we thought Akamai might be interested in the office component @ north station. Let's stick to talking about 80 Causeway Street and stuff within 1/4 mile of it.
 
Re: The Boston Garden (TD Garden Towers) | 80 Causeway Street | West End

How exactly will phasing work on this project? Even though thee office tower is listed as Phase 5, I assume that the developer isn't required to build the phases in that exact order?

I guess I'm not used to seeing towers built in phases over a podium, so I'm wondering if they're just doing that to provide themselves the flexibility to wait for anchor tenants?
 
Re: The Boston Garden (TD Garden Towers) | 80 Causeway Street | West End

They were looking for a move/HQ build out in 2017/2018, so technically this may not interfere with that. If they're growing their workforce substantially this year, they will need more space before that projected date.
 
Re: The Boston Garden (TD Garden Towers) | 80 Causeway Street | West End

Sorry in advanced, I don't think this warrants a new thread.

Can anyone tell me what the run down building is?

SkcLfZY.jpg
 
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