Elm Brook Homes is a suburban infill residential project located on a 12.9-acre (5.2-hectare) site in historic Concord, Massachusetts, across from the birthplace of Henry David Thoreau, an American author, poet, and philosopher. The development’s 12 single-family detached houses are situated on a cul-de-sac atop a raised meadow adjacent to marshland. Its completion in 2002 set a precedent for high-quality, modular, workforce (affordable) housing in a premium housing market with sensitive historical design considerations.
Repositioning of a 31-year-old high-rise office building in the heart of Boston’s Financial district. In the late 1980s, this building was in danger of slipping into Class B status, with a corresponding loss in value. In 1989, a three-phase, $98 million rehabilitation program was initiated that included improvements to the plaza, lobby, and building systems in addition to extensive asbestos abatement. Today, all of the renovated space (the up-grading of some of the middle floors is still in progress) has been leased at rental rates consistent with new Class A downtown office towers.
The adaptive use of a historic industrial building into a 236,250-square foot multitenant biotechnology, laboratory, and office facility. Redeveloped by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the building’s locational attributes, 40,000-square-foot floor plates, and ornate facade created a unique opportunity for commercial reuse. To capture the growing biotech market, MIT financed tenant improvements, which are amortized over the life of each commercial lease.
A 1.7-acre park located atop a seven-level underground parking garage in the heart of Boston’s financial district. The park and garage replaced an existing deteriorated above-grade parking structure. A public/ private partnership, involving the city and property owners and tenants around the park and garage, was formed to develop the project, which was privately financed.
An upscale mixed-use project overlooking Boston’s famous Public Garden. The developer won a city design competition for the rights after a previous developer’s proposal for the urban-renewal site was rejected because of vigorous citizen opposition. Working in collaboration with the city and a local citizens’ group, the developer designed a 12-story brick and limestone-clad building that features 50,000 square feet of retail on the ground floor, 125,000 square feet of offices on floors two through four, and 87 upscale condominiums on top. One hundred and eighty parking spaces are provided below ground.
