The Davis Companies and Boston Development Group (BDG) on Aug. 26 celebrated the ceremonial "topping-off" of Phase One of 66 Galen Street in Watertown, Mass., a 224,000-sq.-ft., purpose-built, Class A life science building.
Designed by Elkus Manfredi Architects in Boston, the 66 Galen Street development marks just the first of a two-part campus plan which will encompass more than five acres of land, 40 percent of which will be dedicated to open space, Boston Real Estate Times reported Aug. 31.
Upon final buildout, the campus will include more than 450,000-sq.-ft. of lab space across two new buildings.
The latest major milestone marks the completion of the structural phase of construction and positions the project to be delivered on schedule and available for occupancy in 2023.
"It is great to see 66 Galen taking shape and finding its place on the streetscape of Watertown," said Mike Cantalupa, chief development officer at the Boston-based Davis Companies.
"The prominence of the building and its relationship with the Charles River is what we had planned for. With the exceptional views, first-class amenity package and easy access to transportation we have an extremely attractive home for our clients' businesses. The [John Moriarty & Associates (JMA)] construction team has executed flawlessly, putting us in perfect position to begin lab user occupancies as early as the fourth quarter of 2023."
"I would like to thank the team at Davis for our successful partnership along with the Elkus Manfredi Architects and JMA," added BDG President Jodie Zussman. "Together, we will be able to meet the growing demands of many discerning life science tenants who are looking for properties like 66 Galen Street in a crowded market where Class A, purpose-built lab space within a growing, vibrant life science cluster can be scarce."
Boston Real Estate Times reported that the 66 Galen Street project will differentiate itself from the market in several ways, including its significant upgrade to the public realm along the Galen Street corridor. Besides the large amount of land set aside to be green space, substantial transportation infrastructure improvements — including traffic signalization, lane widenings, dedicated bus lanes and sidewalks — are set to be built as part of the Phase One development.
The building itself will offer six private tenant outdoor spaces and a common rooftop balcony with panoramic views of the Charles River. Among other high-end amenities are a fitness center, locker rooms with showers, a 45-space bike room, on-site retail/café space, a hotel-style building lobby and ample indoor parking directly beneath the building.
A 25,000-sq.ft. rooftop solar array also will contribute sustainability to the building's power.
Located along the easy-to-access Galen Street corridor, connecting Watertown Square to the Massachusetts Turnpike/Interstate 90, 66 Galen Street is just a short drive to downtown Boston and Kendall Square via I-90 or Soldiers Field Road. The site also is next to the MBTA's Watertown bus terminal and is accessible from a variety of residential communities, including Boston's urban core and its western suburbs.
