Image courtesy of Sasaki and Elkus Manfredi Architects
Simmons University’s former residential campus would become an extension of the Longwood Medical Center life science and health care cluster under Skanska USA Commercial Development’s newly released plans for the 5.8-acre site.
Skanska is proposing three buildings in the first phase of the Longwood Place project, located on Brookline Avenue and Pilgrim Road.
While most of the commercial buildings’ square-footage is planned as office-lab space, Skanska said it’s considering up to 10 percent medical and clinical space.
Like most of Greater Boston, the Fenway and Longwood areas’ lab markets have struggled to attract significant leases in recent quarters. The 1.8 million-square-foot submarket encompassing Back Bay, the Fenway and Longwood has a 16.9 percent vacancy rate, according to data by brokerage Cresa.
The 1 million-square-foot project includes 15- and 13-story commercial buildings totaling 838,000 square feet, and a 200,500-square-foot residential building containing 227 homes.
The apartments would include a 20 percent income-restricted component, with units “anticipated to be on-site,” according to a project notification form submitted to the Boston Planning Department.
Simmons University freed up room to sell the property to Skanska by partnering with the Boston-based developer to build new facilities now under construction on its campus, including an athletic and wellness center, dining hall and 1,100 student housing beds. The Living and Learning Center is scheduled for completion in 2026.
Now, Skanska is moving forward with permitting for the large-scale commercial and housing towers that will replace 13 dorms, dining and athletic facilities.
The project also includes 2.8 acres of open space and a new two-way street cutting through the property.
Two additional buildings – one commercial and the other residential – are included in the project which was approved in 2023 by the Boston Planning & Development Agency under a planned development area process. Skanska is not seeking approval for the final two buildings at this time.
A public comment on the proposal runs through April 18.
