Seven roof decks and terraces are being added to One Post Office Square in Boston’s Financial District as part of a comprehensive update to the 40-year-old office tower. Image courtesy of JLL
When One Post Office Square was completed at the corner of Milk and Pearl streets in downtown Boston in 1981, it was a welcome addition in a forward-thinking city, offering 41 floors of prestigious and modern office space in a premier Financial District location.
Forty years later, One Post Office Square remains a landmark skyscraper in a neighborhood that has since seen tremendous and positive changes, including the removal of the elevated Central Artery and the development of the Rose Kennedy Greenway. But with rapid changes in how we live and work and growing concerns about the environment and sustainability, my colleagues at JLL and I were thrilled by the opportunity to lead this landmark property into the present day.
Working with our teammates at Gensler and Anchor Line Partners, we agreed that the relatively young building’s bones are healthy, and that the project would be a rehab and reuse, not a teardown and rebuild. We would focus on a thoughtful and meticulous reconsideration of the building’s facade, situated as it is in a well-trafficked location and facing a popular neighborhood park. For the building’s interiors, we would go deep, introducing LEED protocols and planning with an eye toward sustainability, energy efficiency, health and wellness.
One Post Office Square’s transformation is nearing completion, and, we believe, the building’s now 1.2 million square feet of office space offers a terrific demonstration of the value of rehabbing more recent existing structures – and not just the historic properties that many of us picture when discussing reuse strategies; these newer buildings can also benefit from recent technical advances and solutions for workplace well-being.
Tower Reskinned with Glass Curtain Wall
In a significant upgrade from One Post Office Square’s original precast concrete exterior, the building is now dressed in an elegant curtain wall comprised entirely of floor-to-ceiling triple-glazed glass. Sunlight dances off the exterior during the day while in the evening, the neighborhood is brightened by the warm lights within.
Another significant upgrade is provided by the seven roof deck terraces that our team has introduced to the property. These appealing spaces, spread across several levels, provide workers and visitors with multiple areas for fresh-air meetings, dining and relaxation. Populated with greenery, these terraces bring nature into the sky and provide sweeping views of Norman B. Leventhal Park and Boston Harbor.
Ben Heller
As we worked to rehab this four-decade-old structure, we were committed to design and construction solutions that would promote sustainability and reduce energy usage. In fact, we are pursuing LEED Gold certification for this project. A new HVAC system will, in tandem with the triple-glazed glass exterior, reduce heating and cooling costs by supporting ‘natural’ ventilation. With this and other improvements, it’s expected that the revamped One Post Office Square will soon save both 685 cars worth of carbon emissions and 2 million gallons of water every year.
Additional amenities will make the property even more appealing to users. These include revamped and expanded street level retail, a state-of-the-art fitness center, a concierge medical offering, salon, golf simulator lounge, new food and beverage offerings including an outdoor lounge, an 18-story addition including an automated parking garage and direct interior access to the neighboring and newly-renovated Langham Hotel.
So far, the decision to reuse and rehab One Post Office Square is proving very popular, with approximately 185,000 square-feet already leased to clients including law firm Sullivan & Worcester, financial services firm Appleton Partners, leading global bank Citi and, in exciting news for me, JLL. For decades into the future, this carefully renovated icon will endure as a valued contributor to the future growth of Boston.
Ben Heller is managing director of brokerage for JLL Boston.
