Boston – Suffolk Construction has been selected by institutional investment advisor, Bentall Kennedy, as construction manager on the renovation of 50 Post Office Square. Formerly 185 Franklin Street, the art deco high-rise building located in Boston’s Financial District will be open to the public for the first time in 60 years upon completion.
The renovation will feature extensive updates to the building’s lobby, common areas, and commercial space, including the addition of 21,000 square feet of retail space, 110 new below-grade parking spaces, and a rehabilitated streetscape. A new public entrance will be built on High Street, and the Franklin Street entrance will be redesigned.
The first phase of the redevelopment will incorporate street-level retail space and updates to the surrounding landscaping, while the second phase will focus on modernizing the building’s infrastructure and revitalizing the lobby. The project will include sustainable design elements to achieve LEED certification.
As a high-profile building situated in a busy public square, 50 Post Office Square will require extensive coordination of all construction activity. The building will remain occupied throughout construction, which is scheduled to be completed in 2013. Additional work will take place as lease agreements are executed.
Bentall Kennedy has also retained Commonwealth Ventures as the project developer and Elkus Manfredi Architects as the project design firm. Bentall Kennedy is one of North America’s largest real estate investment advisors and one of its foremost providers of real estate services, serving the interests of more than 400 clients across the U.S. and Canada.
50 Post Office Square, formerly 185 Franklin Street, was originally constructed in 1947 as the headquarters for the New England Telephone & Telegraph Company, the regional outpost of the American Telegraph & Telephone Company (AT&T).