Waltham Infill and Small Developments

jklo said:
Plus nowhere near any real transit. Very much car only.
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Basically true for most of Waltham-Burlington-Rt3, and it hasn't stopped them. For a particular kind of employer and particular workers, all they really want to know is "will there be enough parking spots?" full stop. I know of bosses (at tenants) who say: I pay everyone enough that they can afford to drive*

That building management has to wonder how low-paid staff comes and goes is, so far, not a problem that "the market" cares about.

*but it also comes down to: it must be within a 20 minute drive of the CEO's house in Wellesley.
 
Equilibria said:
Demolition to begin at 225 Wyman this fall:

https://www.bostonglobe.com/busines...ing-waltham/IsxCKRt7hCrejJvQENXnTM/story.html

507,000sf ready to go when a tenant is signed.
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How many employees would fit into a space like this? Assuming it's typical open-office space and not something fancy like research labs.

I'm wondering how many companies there are in the Boston area that would be able to make use of a building of this size (my understanding is that they're going for a single tenant).

For reference Vistaprint's building next door is 315k:
https://officesnapshots.com/2016/12/02/vistaprint-cimpress-offices-waltham/
 
FK4 said:
^ The proposed development is also ugly as all get out.

ProposedWalthamDevelopment_AllianceA.jpg


Im just so sick of these stupid square turrets as a means to pretend that an ugly box with cheap materials has something of visual interest to offer. The design has become so linked with cheap development in my mind that it automatically brings it down when I see it.
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From a couple of years ago now- approved recently by Waltham's zoning board.

But if I'm reading this correctly, the city's zoning board was forced to approve the application but the city council is suing the zoning board, while acknowledging that state laws for 40B developments required the zoning board to approve it:

https://patch.com/massachusetts/waltham/waltham-pushes-back-195-unit-apartment-project-2nd-ave

Have I misunderstood something?
 
It sounds like they believe a judge's ruling can override 40b and this is the only way to get it in front of a judge. Basically they can't sue the developers because they are within the law, but they can sue the Board because they broke the city's zoning law. That's how I read it.
 
^ha. I stand by my vitriolic assessment of those bogus turrets, 2 years later.
 
tjrileymass said:
How many employees would fit into a space like this? Assuming it's typical open-office space and not something fancy like research labs.

I'm wondering how many companies there are in the Boston area that would be able to make use of a building of this size (my understanding is that they're going for a single tenant).

For reference Vistaprint's building next door is 315k:
https://officesnapshots.com/2016/12/02/vistaprint-cimpress-offices-waltham/
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This a BIG Time Development -- Gensler is on the sign in fairly big letters

Waltham and Lexington are acquiring 2nd tier wanna-be companies and to accommodate expansion of existing Kendall based co's who can't afford the Vertex approach

from Bisnow with my comments in bold and my highlights in [highlight]sample [/highlight]
Hobbs Brook Management plans to replace its 145K SF Waltham headquarters with a more than 500K SF office and lab development. When complete, the 255 Wyman St. project at the Hobbs Brook office park would have the [highlight] largest contiguous Class-A office building on Route 128 [/highlight], according to the developer. Note: Post the former P.O. facility is 400ksq ft across and just down the Street

The property management and development firm plans to break ground in Q2 and has selected JLL as the exclusive leasing agent for the planned project. “JLL’s life sciences and office leasing groups, combined with their national and international platform, will give Hobbs Brook maximum exposure for 225 Wyman to leading office and lab tenants,” Hobbs Brook interim President and CEO Ziad Tadmoury said in a prepared statement.

The Gensler-designed, five-story building is being built on spec and [highlight]designed to accommodate both lab and office tenants. [/highlight] JLL previously worked with Hobbs Brook on leasing 312K SF to Dassault Systems at 175/185 Wyman St., in the same Waltham office park as the new development.
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Read more at: https://www.bisnow.com/boston/news/...-and-lab-development-at-waltham-campus-97817?

Just drove past it -- pre-construction clean-up after demo is beginning

PS: a rendering
https://www.hobbsbrook.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/0-170306_225_WYMAN_VIEW2_FINAL-1920x963.jpg
from behind the building with Cambridge Reservoir in the distance across Rt-128
 
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Life Science Development | 300 Third Ave | Waltham, MA

300 Third Avenue offers 139,570 RSF of Class A Lab & Office Space for lease in Waltham, MA. 300 Third Ave is a best-in-class opportunity for biotechnology tenants in Greater Boston's robust life science community.
www.300thirdave.com www.300thirdave.com

2 story building overlooking 128 expected to be replaced with a 5 story office/lab building.
 
AdamBC said:

Life Science Development | 300 Third Ave | Waltham, MA

300 Third Avenue offers 139,570 RSF of Class A Lab & Office Space for lease in Waltham, MA. 300 Third Ave is a best-in-class opportunity for biotechnology tenants in Greater Boston's robust life science community.
www.300thirdave.com www.300thirdave.com

2 story building overlooking 128 expected to be replaced with a 5 story office/lab building.
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That's too bad. I like that mirrored building.
 
AdamBC said:

Life Science Development | 300 Third Ave | Waltham, MA

300 Third Avenue offers 139,570 RSF of Class A Lab & Office Space for lease in Waltham, MA. 300 Third Ave is a best-in-class opportunity for biotechnology tenants in Greater Boston's robust life science community.
www.300thirdave.com www.300thirdave.com

2 story building overlooking 128 expected to be replaced with a 5 story office/lab building.
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You forgot to use the typically cliched but in this case appropriate Iconic Building -- that Building has been a fixture on the hillside for a generation
It dates from the very core of "Rt-128 America's Technology Highway" era
 
No idea where else to put this, but I live out in Bedford now and have to live and die by 128 on a regular basis, and I'm wondering what this little thing is/was. Best I can tell it's just one of the many one-story tech buildings that used to populate the area but with some extra modernist flair, but is there more to it? It almost looks like it was a restaurant meant for "overlook" views of the little valley and reservoir out here

51096698126_7a9ab95e33_b.jpg


51096697851_8144ccb957_b.jpg
 
kz1000ps said:
No idea where else to put this, but I live out in Bedford now and have to live and die by 128 on a regular basis, and I'm wondering what this little thing is/was. Best I can tell it's just one of the many one-story tech buildings that used to populate the area but with some extra modernist flair, but is there more to it? It almost looks like it was a restaurant meant for "overlook" views of the little valley and reservoir out here

51096698126_7a9ab95e33_b.jpg


51096697851_8144ccb957_b.jpg
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Looks like Brandeis tried to expand......I'm still architecturally traumatized by my four years there.
 
While we've all been hiding, MassDOT/BXP completed the northern end of the interchange work in Waltham:

MassDOT, Boston Properties Highlight New Operational and Safety Improvements at Route 128/Interstate 95 Interchange Ramp and Roadways in Waltham

Improvements completed ahead of schedule and include modifications to the Interstate 95 northbound on-ramps and off-ramps for exit 43A (Old exit 27A), roadway reconstruction operations, and traffic signal installations
www.mass.gov www.mass.gov

The interchange modification project marks the second of four-phases of privately funded transportation improvements being considered in this area of Waltham to support growth opportunities for businesses at CityPoint (Prospect Hill Executive Office Park), 1265 Main Street, and properties along the Winter Street corridor. Additional final phases of work have not been fully defined at this time but may include the replacement of the Main Street bridge (Route 117) over I-95 and supporting improvements to Main Street, construction of a new roadway (the Green Street Connector) between Main Street and the Route 20 rotary, and improvements to the Route 20 rotary at I-95 Interchange 41 (Old Exit 26 ) expected to be delivered in 2023/2024.
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kz1000ps said:
No idea where else to put this, but I live out in Bedford now and have to live and die by 128 on a regular basis, and I'm wondering what this little thing is/was. Best I can tell it's just one of the many one-story tech buildings that used to populate the area but with some extra modernist flair, but is there more to it? It almost looks like it was a restaurant meant for "overlook" views of the little valley and reservoir out here

51096698126_7a9ab95e33_b.jpg


51096697851_8144ccb957_b.jpg
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KZ, I too have moved out to Bedford. Howdy neighbor!

The above appears to have been IDC's HQ. The sign may now say 1265 Main, but I was working in that area when the Thermo building was going up and at that time the sign had the building address: https://goo.gl/maps/KMwto5VF78pn7ubE8

Looking at the address on the sign, it matches an ad from 1978 for IDC: https://books.google.com/books?id=I...258952&pg=PA80#v=onepage&q=8002258952&f=false

IDC is now HQ'd in Needham (previously Framingham where the logo was visible from the Mass Pike but took the PTC office space when PTC moved to the Seaport): https://needham.wickedlocal.com/news/20200515/idg-announces-office-relocation-to-needham
 
^ Nice, thanks for that. That building screams 1960s, and with IDC being founded in 1968 it would all certainly seem to add up.

Also, welcome to Bedford! I spent the last 16 years in the city limits of Boston and NYC so it was a bit of a shock for life to put me here but I've warmed up to the area quite well, what with having super cute/historic/bougie Concord 10 minutes west and all the shopping I could ever want (plus Border Cafe!!) 10 minutes to the east. All things considered I quite like this area.
 
If I recall correctly, that building (identified as formerly IDC, has had numerous tenants over the years, including Interleaf [I think] and Microsoft) was the first large suburban building to have T1 internet service, which was both speculative at the time and turned out to be a big selling point. I think it was connected to BBN or MIT, but my memories of that are hazy now.

Don't recall what the little modernist office building was.
 
The girlfriend gets bloodwork done at MGH West so I find myself out here with time to kill...

The old Polaroid campus

51164646070_63ffb49b61_b.jpg


51164326064_5af4448b21_b.jpg


Route 128 veterans will recall this disco era structure

51162918652_515ef61151_b.jpg


Here it is in 1987 courtesy of an MIT photo collection

51164368539_ff59e2a93a_b.jpg


It was demolished last year and a 5-story office building is going up in its place

51164644410_df66b0331a_b.jpg


Also the former IDC building...

51096698126_7a9ab95e33_b.jpg


Is no more

51164324669_ebb6dcfb97_b.jpg


51163539311_4cea3d9d32_b.jpg


Bye bye quirky postwar buildings!
 
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