51 Melcher St. Approval of the office-to-lab conversion in Fort Point was delayed in September after City Council President Ed Flynn stated concerns about noise, vibration and biohazard waste removal. Image courtesy of studioTROIKA
Responding to concerns by residents and elected officials, a proposed lab conversion in Boston’s Fort Point would locate some new mechanical equipment on the individual floors to reduce the presence of rooftop systems.
GI Partners of San Francisco acquired the 102,727-square-foot building at 51 Melcher St. in August for $74.6 million. The plans submitted Friday would convert nearly 57,000 square feet of office space and basement support areas into life science space.
The 105-year-old former Boston Wharf Co. warehouse-turned-office building is bordered by a pair of residential buildings, and developers said the designs will minimize the amount of rooftop mechanical equipment by including air handling units on individual floors.
Prompted by the uptick in office-to-lab conversions in Boston, including the noise and visual effects of lab buildings’ mechanical systems, the Boston city council in July held a hearing on enhanced community review of projects.
GI Partners said it’s allocating a portion of each floor for mechanical equipment while locating new rooftop equipment near the center of the building, requiring the removal of three skylights and two inactive penthouses.
Because the property is located in a manufacturing zoning district, the life science uses are allowed as of right, developers stated in a project notification form to the Boston Planning & Development Agency. The project is subject to Article 80 large project review by the BPDA and a groundwater conservation overlay district conditional use permit from the zoning board of appeals.
According to CBRE research released this month, developers are on track to convert 3.2 million square feet of commercial space into life science uses in Greater Boston by the end of 2022. The 16-building Boston Seaport District lab submarket totals 4.4 million square feet and has a 0.2-percent vacancy rate.
The Melcher Street property also sits near a pair of major ground-up life science developments..
National Development and Alexandria Real Estate Equities has begun construction on the 316,750-square-foot 15 Necco St. office-lab project. And Related Beal proposes a 419,081-square-foot office-lab building as part of its 1.1-million-square-foot Channelside development at at 244-284 A St.
