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In hot Boston development market, even Mass and Cass is worth a shot

A developer told the BPDA today it will soon file plans to replace a three-story office building at 17 Bradston St., just steps from the intersection of Massachusetts Avenue and Melnea Cass Boulevard, with a "mid-rise" building with space for everything from life-sciences labs and medical offices to "pharmaceutical back of house operations" and "advanced manufacturing."

"Exciting urban design" is promised for the building, along with job training space, according to the letter of intent filed with the BPDA by a lawyer for Bradston South Realty Trust. The letter says the building will likely only be the first of numerous new buildings to revitalize the area as part of the BPDA's ongoing Plan: Newmarket initiative which aims to keep Newmarket Square's existing industries while also attracting "the industries of tomorrow," as well as maker spaces and artistic endeavors.

The 1.1-acre project will require "large-scale project review" by the BPDA, which means the new building will have at least 50,000 square feet of space.

The letter of intent does not specify who is behind the realty trust, but one of the names on a CC line is Josh Fetterman, an executive at City Realty, which has long focused on residential and small retail spaces.

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the intersection of Massachusetts Avenue and Melnea Cass Boulevard, with a "mid-rise" building with space for everything from life-sciences labs and medical offices to "pharmaceutical back of house operations" and "advanced manufacturing."

Don't forgot the windshield washing service while you wait for the light!

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It's right near the new biosquare development and close to the south end. Seems reasonable that by the time it's built the adjacent intersection problems will be moved somewhere else or fixed.

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I can't imagine how any prospective tenant or employee would find this attractive unless it includes an enclosed skybridge across to BMC.

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Priced right... it will go.

I've worked for enough startups to know that unless they have a VC who loves spending cash, most of them end in places a bit so out of the ordinary.

I worked one place that was in the technology center known as "Cushing Square" in Belmont. I'm kidding, but the company was there.. between a hair salon and a greasy spoon in some department store building (of a store I never heard of before).

I interviewed at a place that leasing retail store space in Cambridge, prior to that it was a furniture store.

Long time ago, I worked at a company who's HQ was inside a closed Walmart. (no joke)

So yeah some small start up company looking for a nice place with lab at the right price will snatch this up.

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Great examples, but the developer will need to charge much higher rents than in those examples to make this development financially viable.

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I've built 10 offices in my career.

You don't know this. There's listing price and what people actually pay.

Sure developer can charge an arm and a leg. And the property can sit there empty until the developer has to wheel and deal to get tenants that pay.

Its the downside of building in a neighborhood that isn't know for office space. You run a risk of not attracting the tenants you want, and getting any tenant that will take the space.

I worked at one place where the entire building was empty. Building management was begging people to move in, and gave us the top floor at a cool 22/sq foot. (which is OBSCENE for where it was).

Like I said, if that building sits empty long enough, the developer will have no choice than to wheel and deal.

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I was down there just last week, and saw a big row of tents along the road by the I-93 connector, and now that I looked at the map, it was Bradston Street. Rough spot.

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Mass and Cass for the High Class?

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I thought it was a "pharmaceutical back of house operation".

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