Facades from 19th-century woodworking shops would remain
Two developers have filed plans with the BPDA for their proposed five-story life-sciences building at 65-69 Wareham Street in the South End, in what would be the latest outpost in a life-sciences corridor along Albany Street.
The new building, which would replace a warren of smaller buildings that started going up around 1875 in a then industrial section of the South End, extends to Plympton Street.
Transom Realty—itself based at the corner of Wareham and Albany streets—and Camber Development, headquartered downtown, say their proposed 79,600-square-foot building would have a 44-space underground garage.
In their filing, the developers say they will pay homage to the area's industrial past by retaining the facade of the old buildings for their new one.
From the filing:
"The Project represents a unique opportunity to preserve and enhance the historic character of Wareham and Plympton Streets as a light industrial area, as contemplated in the Harrison Albany Corridor Strategic Plan and memorialized in Article 64 of the [Boston zoning] Code. The existing facades along Wareham Street will be preserved, with the new building incorporated seamlessly into this preserved façade. Furthermore, the Project continues the integration of previously approved public realm improvements along Wareham Street, creates the only through-block connection between Plympton and Wareham Streets on this block, and provides for an activated and engaging ground floor on Wareham Street through retail and publicly accessible lobby areas."
The project would be just across Albany Street from the under-construction Exchange South End complex, which will include life-sciences lab space next to Boston University's National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratory, which in turn is next to BU Medical School's campus and research facilities, which lead into the campus of Boston Medical Center.
The Wareham Street developers hope to begin two years of demolition and construction in mid-2023.