BOSTON– Boston Global Investors (BGI) and their development partners celebrated the official groundbreaking of 10 World Trade this week, a next-generation life science building located in one of the country’s most dynamic innovation districts. Construction is slated to take 32 months, with an expected opening date of Q4 2024.
Featuring over 550,000 square feet of office and lab space, 10 World Trade was designed to meet the current and future needs of life science tenants, including collaboration spaces and lifestyle amenities necessary to attract top talent. Designed by the Boston-based and world-renowned architecture firm Sasaki, the property is defined by a uniquely curved and high-tech glass façade and surrounded by an array of welcoming indoor-outdoor connected spaces.
“Our goal is to create the best workspace on the market, regardless of the end user;” said John B. Hynes III, CEO and Managing Partner at BGI. “To that end, we have combined the best possible location with the best possible quality, and delivered something that is going to be truly unique in terms of its ability to attract the best talent for the companies who call 10 World Trade home.”
Tenants will benefit from a wide range of onsite amenities, including a food hall, a 150-seat auditorium, a sky-level fitness center, and an abundance of cultural and entertaining programming activations throughout the year. The 17-story building’s chilled beam HVAC system, tall floor-to-floor heights, and large column-free floor plates meet the flexible needs of life science and office users alike. The curtain wall system will also feature View Smart Windows, a dynamic and transformative glass that eliminates the need for window shades by using artificial intelligence to customize the tint-level of the windows through the day based on the position and strength of the sun.
The project involves over two acres of sustainable indoor/outdoor public space, including a revitalized World Trade Center Avenue and a pedestrian footbridge connecting the existing roadway over to a new structured park. At the ground level, a dramatic domed ceiling reaches 45-feet in height, and houses a food hall, an onsite cultural tenant, and a 24/7 accessible connection between the Congress Street and World Trade Center Avenue levels.
The BGI team was designated pursuant to a Massport RFP and is the second project to be built using the “Massport Model” for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. “We are excited to celebrate the groundbreaking of a new iconic building in the South Boston Waterfront,” said Massport CEO Lisa Wieland. “Boston is known globally as a leader in the life sciences, and we look forward to growing our hub and the city’s recognition on the world stage. This project is once again showing that putting DE&I on equal footing gives us all a leg up.”
The building’s smart design incorporates multiple innovative features to enhance sustainability and wellness, including touchless systems, augmented air flow systems, post-pandemic safeguards and energy-saving measures. The building will be among the first in the region to achieve certifications from SmartScore and SITES, and, according to Hynes, is pursuing Gold – or better – certifications from LEED, WELL, and WiredScore.
“Buildings are no longer places where people are forced to come to work every day; they must therefore be magnets for talent and keepers of culture,” said Molly Heath, Managing Director at JLL. “This state-of-the-art building takes advantage of every available technology, design tool and shared space to create an environment where employee well-being, collaboration and engagement are the priority.” JLL is responsible for all leasing of 10 World Trade.
The Seaport neighborhood currently features 11.9 million square feet of commercial office and lab space, with a focus on life science and innovation economy companies. The neighborhood and 10 World Trade have easy access to many restaurant and retail options, the waterfront, downtown, and Logan Airport, along with the I-90 and I-93 highways and a broad range of public transportation options including the MBTA Silver Line, a water taxi, key bus routes, BLUEbikes, and Zipcar locations.
The development team behind the project is a joint venture led by BGI, whose role in the Seaport goes back to 2006 when they acquired the 23-acre McCourt property with Morgan Stanley and master planned it into a 6 million square foot neighborhood before selling the balance to WS Development in 2016. Also on the team are EDGE, based in the Netherlands and one of Europe’s leading developers, as well as two minority-owned development firms: Bastion Companies, led by Somerville native and retired NFL player Gosder Cherilus, and CCG Development, led by Don Cogsville of New York.
“In an area known for being home to corporate headquarters and world leading companies, this building stands out on all levels: design, building technology, amenities, and public spaces,” added Heath. “As the Seaport District continues to evolve, this project is truly forward looking and will meet a strong demand for lab space.”
