The lack of demand for lab and office space that’s messing with developers throughout the region isn’t changing Boston Properties’ plans for Kendall Square – but a tenant is.
Boston Properties wants to accommodate a lease renewal by the life-sciences company Thermo Fisher by changing plans for two Cambridge lab and office buildings, reallocating 145,000 square feet of space to construction at 105 Broadway St. from 250 Binney St.
The permitting process for this specific proposal is still in its early stages and has yet to be submitted to the city for approval. The shifted plan was revealed to the public at an open house Oct. 9 hosted by the developer and the Cambridge Redevelopment Authority. More public meetings will be held throughout the fall and winter, according to the project website.
The buildings are part of the Kendall Square MXD development plan, which includes an 11-story underground Eversource substation, a new public open space called Central Plaza, multiple commercial buildings and one residential tower with 465 apartment units.
Most phases of the MXD project are expected to be completed in 2026 or 2027, with the exception of 250 Binney St., the building where Thermo Fisher remains at work, which may be completed as late as 2034.
Little concern of vacancies
Lab and office space vacancies in the Boston area, including Cambridge, have risen due to factors such as a construction boom earlier in the Covid pandemic that’s run into a period of tech layoffs and extended postpandemic remote-work culture.
Kendall Square and MXD commercial construction is immune, Boston Properties senior vice president Jeff Lowenberg said. Bucking that regional trend, a planned tower at 290 Binney St. already has AstraZeneca as the planned sole occupant.
“Kendall Square is pretty unique in that there is relatively little vacancy. Companies want to be part of a connected ecosystem, and adjacency to MIT is a big part of why companies want to be here,” Lowenberg said. “Kendall Square has been very fortunate in that the development of these buildings over time has led to a robust ecosystem where companies really value being in this market.”
Boston Properties does not build on spec – in other words, the developer will not start construction without planned tenants, Lowenberg said.
Objections to a taller building
During the Q&A, authority board member Barry Zevin expressed some concern over the new designs, including the sustainability of tearing down what is still a “decent building” at 250 Binney, that the buildings are too uniform in size and the effect of shifting the square footage and making 105 Broadway St. taller.
“A taller building at 105 Broadway casts a lot more shadow in Central Plaza at useful times of day,” Zevin said. “We’d need a shadow study to understand more. I’m also worried about blocking views from 121 Broadway.”
Boston Properties has said it will study and address concerns around massing, shadows and the impact on the Central Plaza and park, according to minutes from a September meeting.
Zevin also nudged Boston Properties toward building more apartments for Kendall instead of adding labs and offices – a decision out of the control of the redevelopment authority – despite the square’s resistance to trends forcing other developers in that direction.
“You could argue that residential space in this zone actually helps everybody, because it makes it a more attractive place to work,” Zevin said.
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