Office availabilities in Boston topped 16 million square feet in late 2023, equivalent to more than 13 Prudential towers. Photo by Steve Adams | Banker & Tradesman Staff

As Massachusetts office buildings reopened at limited capacity this week, Boston Properties partnered with a high-profile public health expert on strategies to minimize COVID-19 transmission in the workplace.

The office REIT today announced details of its plans for enhanced cleaning, building system updates, physical distancing and personal protective equipment requirements at its nationwide portfolio of 196 properties totaling nearly 52 million square feet. Boston Properties partnered with 9 Foundations Inc., a consultancy founded by Joseph Allen, an assistant professor at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, on the plan.

“Our Health Security Plan summarizes the health security approach BXP will take over the weeks and months ahead as we enter the next phase of pandemic response, which epidemiological models suggest could mean dealing with recurrences over an extended period,” CEO Owen Thomas and President Douglas Linde wrote in a notification to tenants.

Occupancy in elevators will be limited to four people, and common area amenities including conference rooms, food service and conference rooms will be temporarily closed during the restart. Food service will be limited to prepackaged items, and face coverings will be required in high-density areas and others where 6-foot separation is impractical.

Short-term changes include changes to HVAC system operations including increased fresh air delivery, increased frequency of air filter changers and targeting a humidity level of 40 to 60 percent. The company, whose local portfolio includes the Prudential Center, 200 Clarendon and 100 Federal St., is studying whether experimental techniques such as use of ultraviolet lighting and ionizing air treatment systems can reduce airborne viral particles.

HVAC system upgrades are considered a critical element of preventing the spread of COVID-19 in enclosed spaces, and could require expensive building upgrades, according to a local commercial real estate working group studying the implications for landlords and tenants.

Boston Properties said it will notify all building tenants of a confirmed COVID-19 case in a building and provide enhanced cleaning to common areas, but tenants will be financially responsible for non-routine cleaning services and the building will remain open unless ordered to close by the local health department.

In a related report on its business operations, Boston Properties said it has collected 93 percent of May rents from all tenants including retailers, and has leased an additional 400,000 square feet to Microsoft at its Reston Town Center property in Virginia.