A rendering of Prodrive Technologies’ once-planned U.S. headquarters in Union Point.
The developer of the former South Weymouth Naval Air Station is hoping the recent signing of a Dutch technology company as an anchor tenant will act as a catalyst for other major employers to locate operations on the South Shore, long considered a distant third choice for firms looking to expand or relocate in the Greater Boston area.
Prodrive Technologies of Holland in September announced it would center its U.S. operations at Union Point, the new name of the sprawling redevelopment project on 1,500 acres of former military property straddling Abington, Rockland and Weymouth. Prodrive expects to break ground this spring on the first phase of what it hopes will be 550,000 square feet of office, research and manufacturing space that could generate 300 to 500 jobs over the years at Union Point.
Matthew Barry, division president of LStar, the North Carolina developer overseeing the Union Point buildout, said his firm is following up the Prodrive success with “active discussions” with other potential tenants interested in building on four sites at Union Point. Though he declined to give details, the future commercial projects could include a new medical building, a Class A office building and possibly other R&D facilities.
“They’re all north of 150,000 square feet,” said Barry of the potential scope of other projects. “We’re getting our fair share of looks.”
And that’s exactly what Barry – as well as officials in Abington, Rockland and Weymouth – was hoping for when LStar won approvals last year to build as much as 6 million to 8 million square feet of commercial space at Union Point, in addition to the nearly 4,000 housing units and 500,000 square feet of retail space planned at Union Point, formerly known as SouthField.
Though Barry said LStar plans to “follow the market” in terms of what type of commercial ventures might locate at Union Point, it’s obvious officials are hoping to establish a cluster of tech-orientated employers at the site, following the lead of Prodrive, a robotics and electronics company.
If Union Point ends up attracting tech companies and other major firms, it would go a long way toward finally establishing the South Shore as a viable alternative for firms that have traditionally eyed the Cambridge-Boston and Route 128 North areas for their business operations, said Peter Forman, president and CEO of the South Shore Chamber of Commerce.
“We have felt for a while now that (Union Point) is an economic game-changer for us on the South Shore,” said Forman. “It could offer an affordable alternative for both residents and businesses. It’s a blank slate that gives flexibility to companies thinking of expansion.”
Forman and others say Union Point offers everything employers and developers say they want today: a transit-orientated development, with a commuter rail station linked to Boston’s South Station, with a mix of housing, retail and commercial operations. It’s the classic “live, work, play” recipe that’s lately worked in other parts of the state and country, Forman noted.
Residences Planned
As for the “live” portion of equation, Union Point is already moving ahead quickly, even as LStar continues work on the basic infrastructure at the former military base, including new sewer and water hookups and roadways.
Earlier this year, the new Fairing Way development – which includes a 50-bed skilled nursing home, a 104-unit apartment complex for residents 55 years and older, and a central “clubhouse” for dining and recreation – opened at Union Point. Both the nursing home, which is being run by Eventide Home, a Quincy nonprofit, and the apartment building, operated by Rogerson Communities, are now nearly full, said Jamie Seagle, president at Rogerson Communities, a Boston development services and management company.
“By far, it’s the best site I’ve ever seen for a retirement community,” Seagle said of Union Point in general. “It looks gorgeous and eventually you won’t need a car. You’ll be able to walk everywhere or take the train to Boston, if you want. It’s going to be extraordinary.”
Other residential projects are also under way or in the pipeline at Union Point, including a 265-unit apartment building being constructed by John M. Corcoran and Co. of Braintree, LStar’s Barry noted.
In addition, the Union Point master plan calls for a half-million square feet of retail space, for shops, restaurants and hopefully a movie theater, among other amenities.
But it is Union Point’s commercial potential that officials, both in the private and public sectors, hope will economically transform the region, attracting higher paying jobs and causing an economic ripple effect throughout the Route 3 and Route 24 areas.
“That’s what we’re banking on,” Weymouth Mayor Robert Hedlund, the former state senator, said of commercial development at Union Point. “Prodrive is planting the flag that we hope others will follow. They wouldn’t be doing this if they thought they’d be the only one on an isolated (economic) island.”
