New Music Combo: Housing in Rock City
Two new Allston-Brighton projects are betting that good design can make good neighbors of musicians and apartments. Here’s why.
IQHQ Refis Fenway, Allston Lab Sites
Lab sites in Allston and the Fenway refinanced their debt after life science developer IQHQ Inc. received $900 million in additional investments from its long-term partners.
IQHQ Sells Brighton Site Approved for Labs
A major lab developer has sold a 1.55-acre retail property near Boston Landing, taking a $10 million loss in the process.
IQHQ Strayed from the Herd. Will It Pay Off?
IQHQ burst onto the Boston real estate scene in 2021 with a series of big-ticket plans for new lab developments in unproven locations. But those contrarian bets ran headlong into a big life science slowdown.
Sheraton Dorm Conversion, East Boston Rezoning Advance
Conversion of the Sheraton Boston’s south tower into dorms for 856 Northeastern University students and a rezoning plan for East Boston received approval from city officials, along with two lab projects.
Landmark Status Approved for Hotel Targeted for Lab Project
A Kenmore Square hotel was granted Boston landmark status in a vote that could limit a developer’s attempt to build a life science complex on the Beacon Street property.
Alewife Project to Create Connections to Life Science Cluster
The most ambitious building project in nonprofit developer Just-a-Start’s 55-year history, the Economic Mobility Hub at Rindge Commons, will house both elements of its mission under one roof.
Music Studio Donation Clears Way for Brighton Lab Development
Life science developer IQHQ announced expanded plans to donate a recently-acquired Brighton building to the city of Boston for affordable musical rehearsal studios.
BPDA Approves 1.8M SF of New Projects
A developer will pay $1 million to a new fund created by the city of Boston to support displaced artists, after receiving approval for a mixed-income housing and life science project in Allston.
Hot Property: 20 Overland St.
A renovation project designed by Margulies Perruzzi transformed over 64,000 square feet across two floors at 20 Overland St. in Boston’s Fenway neighborhood into BSL-2 lab and open-plan office space.
Dorchester Developer Offers Temporary Space for Displaced Musicians
A group dedicated to saving Boston’s shrinking inventory of affordable arts and culture space helped identify a Dorchester property that will serve as a temporary home for musicians facing displacement from the Sound Museum rehearsals in Brighton.
IQHQ Buys Brighton AV Company’s Property for $18M
After promising to acquire a nearby property to replace Brighton’s Sound Museum music studio which it hopes to demolish for a life science campus, IQHQ Inc. paid $18 million this week for a North Beacon Street property.
Developer Asks Sound Museum to Vacate in January
Life science developer IQHQ Inc. has notified Brighton’s Sound Museum to vacate its longtime studios on Jan. 31, throwing into doubt the short-term rehearsal space options for hundreds of local musicians.
Fenway Lab Project Signs Green Energy Contract
Vicinity Energy touted the launch of its carbon-free “eSteam” service to Boston commercial developers including the $1-billion Fenway Center lab project, as it begins converting its Cambridge cogeneration plant from gas to electric power.
Davis Cos. Quad Project Includes Labs and Restaurant
Davis Cos.’ next life science project would bring another 280,000 square feet of office-lab space to the Alewife Quad district in West Cambridge, including a new restaurant in the transforming industrial neighborhood.
Arts Chief Asks IQHQ to Save Brighton Rehearsal Space
Boston’s arts and culture chief is asking developer IQHQ to retain music rehearsal and recording space at a Brighton property it’s planning to demolish for a 409,395-square-foot life science campus.
Swan Song or Encore for Music Industry?
Somerville officials are studying new ideas to slow the exodus of arts and cultural spaces from the city amid redevelopment and gentrification. And they think developers can help.
Shuttered Kenmore Square Hotel Sold to Lab Developer
A Kenmore square hotel that’s been shuttered since the onset of COVID-19 is set for redevelopment as life science space following a $42.5 million transaction that closed Wednesday.
Local Office-to-Lab Conversions Approach 8M SF
A 7.8-million-square-foot pipeline of office building conversions to lab-ready space accounts for nearly 30 percent of Greater Boston’s life science inventory, exceeding the national average for commercial real estate markets.
Fenway Lab Developers Tout Carbon-Cutting Designs
The latest proposals for nearly 800,000 square feet of life science development in the Fenway are designed to meet the city of Boston’s goal of weaning commercial development off reliance on fossil fuels.
