Developer unwraps latest South End life-sciences project

The Druker Co. has filed plans with the BPDA to replace a vacant warehouse and a parking lot with a two-building, 588,000-square-foot life-sciences complex at 1033 Washington St. in the South End.

The proposed 10-story buildings, each topped by shielded rooftop HVAC and mechanical systems, would include ground-floor commercial and non-profit space and would share a 371-space underground garage on the two-acre parcel between Washington Street and Shawmut Avenue, next to the parking lot of the CMart Supermarket, which is itself slated to be torn down for a residential building.

Druker says the lab space would be permitted for Level 2 experimentation, which could involve "moderate-risk infectious agents or toxins that pose a risk if accidentally inhaled, swallowed, or exposed to the skin" and which would require equipment to decontaminate laboratory waste. This is in contrast to the BU biolab on Albany Street, which is licensed for Level 4 - for work with the world's deadliest microorganisms.

Although Boston talks a big game about becoming a 24/7 city, Druker says the ground-floor commercial space is designed to add "18/7" life to the area with ground-floor retail and possibly restaurant uses. It adds:

The Project involves the construction of two architecturally striking buildings, which will add material enhancements and visual vibrancy to the neighborhood. The massing, and height complement the recent adjacent developments in this northerly quadrant of the South End. The life science/office use of the Project reinforce the connections between the heart of the South End, Tremont Street, and Downtown Boston and complement the eclectic South End architectural heritage and context with a contemporary building.

The company is considering a three-story skybridge to connect the two buildings:

Also:

Both Washington Street and Shawmut Avenue will be designed in accordance with Complete Streets guidelines replacing narrow sidewalks with the full complement of street amenities. Washington Street frontage will be lined with retail and restaurant spaces to engage pedestrians and enliven ground floor activities along Washington Street.

The new landscape, and pedestrian-friendly courtyard, connecting Washington Street and Shawmut Avenue will restore the notion of the historic street grid and block pattern of the South End.

The building sits in a "coastal flood resilience" zone, which means that, among other features, the building will have " a FEMA compliant deployable flood barrier
system to protect the building’s ground and below-grade levels" during and after possibly flooding storms.

Because the site is larger than one acre, Druker says it will file for a "planned development area," which would let it negotiate specifics of what can be built on the land, rather than going through the city zoning process, which would require approval from both the BPDA and the Zoning Board of Appeal.

Druker adds that it expects the complex to add $4 million a year to Boston tax coffers, and that it will mean a roughly $6.3 million payment to the BPDA's affordable-housing fund and $1.1 million to its job-training fund.

1033-1055 Washington St. filings and meeting schedule.