General Electric’s $200 million permanent headquarters cleared another permitting hurdle as it received final approval from the Boston Planning and Development Agency Tuesday.
Designed by Gensler’s Boston office, the 388,070-square-foot complex will include a new 12-story, 293,300-square-foot building connected to two existing warehouses at 5 and 6 Necco Court by a pedestrian bridge and ground-level plaza.
The project will include 1.4 acres of outdoor public space including widening a section of the Boston Harborwalk from 12 to 18 feet and a pedestrian walkway from Necco Street to the channel. Indoor public spaces will include work lounges, GE’s “Brilliant Labs” collaboration with Boston Public Schools and other groups, a cafe and restaurant and museum.
GE will pay $2.4 million to the Neighborhood Housing Trust and $481,076 to the Neighborhood Jobs Trust, in addition to its
previously-announced $25-million donation to Boston Public Schools, $10 million for diverse workforce programs and $15 million for health care workforce and specialty care training.
Sustainable elements of the project include a rooftop solar veil that will supply 10
percent of the complex’s electric usage and rooftop vegetation to offset heat and stormwater runoff. The complex will provide just 30 parking spaces for its projected 800 employees, along with 150 bicycle spaces.
GE announced in January that it would relocate its global headquarters from Fairfield, Connecticut to Boston. State and city officials offered the corporation $145 million in financial incentives. GE opened its temporary headquarters at 33-41 Farnsworth St. in Fort Point in August.
The project still is under review by state regulators under the Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act. GE is targeting a 2018 completion date.
GE is negotiating with MassDevelopment on a lease for the property, which MassDevelopment plans to acquire from Procter & Gamble.




