New Owners of Arsenal on Charles Discussing Additions to Site at Community Meeting

Building 1 is one of the new additions to the Arsenal on the Charles proposed to be built by the new owners. The following information was provided by Alexandria Real Estate Equities:

Please join Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc. (ARE) for a review and discussion on conceptual plans for the Arsenal on the Charles (AOTC) campus, which ARE purchased from Athena Arsenal, LLC in late 2019. The purpose of these meetings will be to present and discuss ARE’s proposed plans to redevelop AOTC into a collaborative and innovative campus including life science, office, retail, and community uses, as well as publicly accessible open spaces and streetscape improvements. Discussion will highlight the changes from Athena Arsenal LLC’s previously approved Campus Master Plan Special Permit and Site Plan Review (PB-2016-01) as well as conceptual designs for the new buildings and the associated public realm including pedestrian and bicycle connectivity tothe adjacent neighborhoods. (note: postings will be available online prior to the first meeting)

An overhead view of Arsenal on the Charles, showing the proposed new additions: Building 1, Building 2, the Connector and Site D.

We will be hosting two community information meetings: one on February 3rd, and the other on March 11th.

Biotech Company Moving from Kendall Square to Watertown

A biotech company currently located in Cambridge’s Kendall Square signed a lease to move into Watertown’s Arsenal on the Charles. Constellation Pharmaceuticals signed a 10-year lease with Alexandria Real Estate Equities, the owner of the complex on Arsenal Street, according to a report on Bisnow. The company specializes in developing novel therapeutics to be used in cancer treatment. Constellation will occupy on 79,000 sq. ft.

Repaving Project Continuing This Week on N. Beacon St., Charles River Road

Roads inside and outside of the Arsenal on the Charles will be repaved in early June. Roadwork will soon resume at the intersection of North Beacon Street and Charles River Road near the driveway to the Arsenal on the Charles. Athenahealth and its contractor, Charles Contracting, announced that road paving will take place in the area on Monday, March 17 and Tuesday, March 18 beginning at 9 a.m. (weather permitting). Athena owns the Arsenal on the Charles complex. Residents on that stretch of road are being asked to remove cars from driveways prior to this time “as you will not have access to driveways during this process,” the announcement said.

Athenahealth Lays Off 100s of Workers, Closes Satellite Offices

Watertown’s biggest employer and owner of the Arsenal on the Charles complex had big layoffs Thursday and closed offices in other locations. The Boston Business Journal reported that the company laid off 400 people, including some at the Watertown headquarters, and closed offices in San Francisco and Princeton, N.J. The Boston Globe put the layoffs at 500, or 9 percent of the overall workforce. Athenahealth had about 2,300 employees in Watertown. “We do not take the decision to reduce our workforce lightly, but these are necessary changes to enable athenahealth to succeed over the long-term,” the company said in a statement. The job cuts come at the same time that Athenahealth has teamed with the town and the state on a multi-million dollar project based on adding jobs at its Watertown headquarters.

Neighbors Fed Up With Impact of Atheahealth Construction Project

Residents living near the east end of North Beacon Street in Watertown reached the end of their patience this week and let officials at Athenahealth know about how upset they are with the impact the company’s construction project is having on their neighborhood. Athenahealth has started construction on a new parking garage on the westside of its campus at the Arsenal on the Charles – which is the beginning of a multiphase project to expand the campus. Neighbors say cars have spilled out of the campus and are parking on North Beacon Street and side streets. Then this week construction trucks began coming up Charles River Road – normally a no-truck route – and are using a driveway that they were told would only be used by emergency vehicles. “Monday, trucks starting coming out of the curb cut and one gets stuck and State Police had to come and close North Beacon Street for 15 minutes,” said North Beacon Street resident Kathy Santoian.