The 290,000-square-foot 101 South St. includes 35,000-square-foot floor plates designed to offer maximum flexibility for tenants. Image courtesy of Leggat McCall Properties

Greater Boston remains at the epicenter of the life sciences market in the country – if not the world – and the demand for state-of-the-art space has never been higher. 

At Boynton Yards in Somerville – a joint venture by DLJ Real Estate Capital Partners (DLJ RECP) and Leggat McCall Properties – the redevelopment is aiming to bring 1.3 million square feet of life science and innovation space directly to the banks of Boston – and the first phase is slated to open in summer 2021. 

Shawmut, partnering with DLJ RECP and LMP, is constructing the first life sciences building at Boynton Yards – seamlessly situated between Cambridge’s knowledge cluster and downtown Boston. Designed by architecture firms SGA and Hashim Sarkis Studios, 101 South St. will be a 9-story, 290,000 square-foot class A lab building and will offer best-in-class, high-efficiency infrastructure geared towards emerging life sciences companies. The building – which will include first floor retail, arts and creative enterprise space, and a four-level, publicly accessible, underground parking garage – will achieve LEED Gold and WiredScore Platinum certifications. 

With Greater Boston’s life sciences market among the most robust in the world, 101 South St. is designed to offer bespoke amenities where companies can imagine and grow. With a combined 290,000 rentable square feet, the building will include 35,000 square-foot floor plates designed for maximum tenant flexibility. In fact, floors will feature a state-of-the-art, column-free design to enable unique and flexible configurations for tenants. They’re also rated at 100 pounds per square foot of live load capacity – with mechanical penthouse floor slabs designed to absorb 150 pounds per square foot of live load. 

Out of sight, the building is just as innovative. Building services will include supply air, exhaust, chilled water, hot water, tenant process cooling water and tepid water. Premium HVAC arrangements will also employ a high efficiency energy recovery system to reduce operating expenses while lab ventilation will be sized at 1.75 cubic feet per minute per square foot, or 2.07 cubic feet per minute per usable square foot. 

Vision for a 24-7 Neighborhood 

While functionality is critical, the transformation of the area into a vibrant work-live-play neighborhood is just as significant. In addition to offering 117 indoor bicycle spaces for storage and service and below grade parking for 250 vehicles, 101 South St. will feature a 2-story lobby, complete with retail and restaurant space overlooking 21,700 square feet of adjacent public green areas and walking paths. 

With Logan Airport only a 10-minute drive, Interstate 93 and the MBTA Green and Orange lines conveniently nearby and MIT/Kendall Square situated less than a mile away, Boynton Yards is strategically located for any commuter or traveler. 

Kevin Sullivan

In total, the proposed 6.55-acre development will transform the area into a vibrant, innovative neighborhood. With more than 1 million square feet of commercial, residential, retail, public green, arts and performance spaces to come, the project is slated to bring 4,000 permanent jobs to the city of Somerville, establishing it as one of the region’s most prominent life sciences hubs. More so, it’s creating a reliable, pioneering destination for life sciences companies to call home, providing leading-edge places to work for their people, and is conveniently located – truly offering a unique, one-of-a-kind set of offerings within the region’s market. 

At Shawmut, we’re seeing firsthand the importance of meeting the demand for such state-of-the-art, innovative space, now more than ever. And from a desolate industrial site to a hub for emerging life sciences, local businesses, and community engagement, 101 South Street – and Boynton Yards – is addressing the need. 

Kevin Sullivan is executive vice president of the New England region for Shawmut Design and Construction.