The New Office/Lab Thread

[FenwayResident]

60 E. Berkeley is 200,000 sq ft of office. Wayfair supposedly looking for 750,000 sq ft.

Wayfair is asking for the equivalent of ~30 floors on the Pru just to put some context on that amount of space. It's going to have to be an entire office building or a campus made up of smaller buildings.

It's certainly possible they build up a campus in the South End starting with 60 E. Berkeley. There's the parking lot on 375 Harrison and that concrete, single-story, windowless building to the north where they could expand.

 

[Shepard]

What's behind this huge growth push for Wayfair? Are they pivoting to some sort of new model?

 

[xec]

I wonder how soon they need the space. If they can wait a while the Government Center Garage tower could certainly accommodate them.

 

[TheRifleman]

I wonder how soon they need the space. If they can wait a while the Government Center Garage tower could certainly accommodate them.

When does that building begin Government Center Garage tower? Is that under construction now?

 

[xec]

It's not. That's why they'd have to wait a while.

 

[cjbski]

I feel like they'd go not far from Back Bay given all of their other space is there.

 

[xec]

I thought the same thing, but taking the Orange Line at Back Bay and getting off at Haymarket strikes me as more convenient than walking from Copley Place to 60 E. Berkeley, so if they're considering E. Berkeley I figure they might also be willing to consider GC garage.

 

[617]

Back bay station development too long a wait ?

 

[stellarfun]

In November 2017, the Globe reported that Wayfair was planning on hiring 10,000 more employees, and looking for upwards of 1 million square feet by 2019. Some of that square feet need may have been satisfied by its lease of nearly 400,000 square feet at 500 Boylston and 222 Berkeley.

https://www.bostonglobe.com/busines...ce-back-bay/EcuDWo3raSfat5acHHi2EP/story.html

Given the apparent timeframe for expanding, unless a building is under construction, or 'shovel ready', it wouldn't be considered for leasing. This would rule out HT garage, and the South Station tower.

 

[Beton Brut]

Back bay station development too long a wait ?

Was thinking about that. Could Boston Properties have been concerned about vulturing potential tenants from North Station? Or maybe they feel it's too late in this economic cycle? I'm happy it's on the shelf, with hopes that they'll come back with something better.

Also, how "approved" is the comatose Copley Place tower? Could a deal with Wayfair resurrect it? How tough is an NPC from residential to office at this scale?

 

[Equilibria]

Also, how "approved" is the comatose Copley Place tower? Could a deal with Wayfair resurrect it? How tough is an NPC from residential to office at this scale?

It's pretty easy, but the tower would look like The Hub on Causeway. The current design doesn't work for office.

 

[tmac9wr]

Was thinking about that. Could Boston Properties have been concerned about vulturing potential tenants from North Station? Or maybe they feel it's too late in this economic cycle? I'm happy it's on the shelf, with hopes that they'll come back with something better.

Also, how "approved" is the comatose Copley Place tower? Could a deal with Wayfair resurrect it? How tough is an NPC from residential to office at this scale?

Wasn't the Copley Place tower pure condos?

 

[Beton Brut]

The current design doesn't work for office.

Well of course, it'll "put on some weight" and become a boxier. But irregularly shaped or smaller floor-plates might work for Wayfair's corporate culture, which I believe uses an open-office environment rather than cube-farms.

Wasn't the Copley Place tower pure condos?

Correct.

 

[cjbski]

WeWork has just put vinyl up over the windows indicating where the space they are opening will be. Entrance on Sleeper St. across from the Envoy Hotel entrance and will be between the ground level retail (1st floor) and Equinox gym (3rd floor). Great win for the space and something to liven up a relatively dead portion of the block.

 

[SouthEnder88]

Looks like Liberty Mutual is shrinking, and Wayfair could take over space at 10 St. James/75 Arlington:

https://www.bisnow.com/boston/news/...int-wayfair-poised-to-backfill-91834?rt=61726

 

[bigpicture7]

Takeda moving US headquarters from Chicago area to Boston

No specific location identified yet...

Article:
https://www.bostonglobe.com/busines...area-boston/BOeg17oU9CM1XDh7qsZ9rN/story.html

 

[stefal]

No specific location identified yet...

Article:
https://www.bostonglobe.com/busines...area-boston/BOeg17oU9CM1XDh7qsZ9rN/story.html

1,000 employees, but they note the move will "simplify" U.S. Operations, while they're also acquiring an Ireland-based pharmaceutical company Shire, who has U.S. Headquarters in Lexington. Will be interesting to see the final number in Boston.

 

[JumboBuc]

No specific location identified yet...

Article:
https://www.bostonglobe.com/busines...area-boston/BOeg17oU9CM1XDh7qsZ9rN/story.html

Takeda already has a sizable presence in Cambridge.

 

[mass88]

1,000 employees, but they note the move will "simplify" U.S. Operations, while they're also acquiring an Ireland-based pharmaceutical company Shire, who has U.S. Headquarters in Lexington. Will be interesting to see the final number in Boston.

I am guessing this will mean at least 200-300 jobs will be moving from Deerfield, IL to the Boston area.


This should be a nice boon for JAL and their flights to Tokyo - Narita.

 

[bigpicture7]

Takeda already has a sizable presence in Cambridge.

Understood, but I don't think the current presence is headquarters-type jobs...it's predominately R&D here now I believe...

The interesting question is whether they try to position the HQ near their Cambridge labs, outside of Boston/Cambridge entirely such as near the Shire suburban location (though the article specifically says "Boston") ...or somewhere in a Boston-proper office bldg.