Business

Zoning Board Approves Marijuana Dispensary’s New Home; Questions Parking at Proposed Biotech Building

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An illustration of the renovation of the former Monro Muffler at 390 Arsenal St. into the new home of Ethos Cannabis. The Zoning Board of Appeals approved the new location for Watertown’s first marijuana dispensary, and also that meeting a decision on a proposed project on Elm Street was not settled because of questions about whether it has enough parking for the biotech labs it would house. Natural Selections, which operates Ethos Cannabis, needs to find a new home because the current site — 23 Elm St. — has been sold and would be replaced by the biotech building that also came in front of the Zoning Board on March 26.

Alexandria Real Estate Equities

Rumors of Sale of Watertown Mall to Life Science Developer

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The Watertown Mall — home to Target, the RMV and Best Buy — could soon be sold to a developer looking to create life science lab space, according to a Boston Globe article. The potential deal involved a sale by owners Rosen Associates Management Corp. to Alexandria Real Estate Equities, which also owns the Arsenal on the Charles and the former Mount Auburn Club. The sales price of the 18-acre-site on Arsenal Street is reportedly $125 million, according to the Globe. The property lies in the Regional Mixed Use District (RMUD) zone in East Watertown, which allows for taller buildings (up to five stories) and more dense development (75 percent building coverage) than most areas of town.

Development

Zoning Board Approves Plans to Turn Former Tufts Building Into Biotech Space

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Plans to turn the former Tufts Health Plan building into biotech lab and office space was approved by the Zoning Board of Appeals. The Zoning Board of Appeals approved the project that will renovate and add on to the former Tufts Health Care building on Mt. Auburn Street on Wednesday night. The new owners, Spear Street Capital, wants to turn the area into life science office and lab space. Plans include renovating the interior of the main building, adding a small building on the back and renovating on the property near Grove Street.

Development

ZBA Hearing Two Big Projects, Council Subgroup Looks at Police Services & Other Meetings

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Plans for converting the Tufts Health Plan building into life science labs and offices will be heard by the Zoning Board of Appeals on Wednesday. The Watertown Zoning Board has several projects on its agenda, including renovations of the Tufts Health Plan building and a biotech project proposed on Elm Street. The ZBA gives final approval for these projects and the meeting begins at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 24. Spear Street Capital, the new owner of the Tufts Health Plan site at 705 Mt.

Development

School Budget to be Presented, 2 Projects at Planning Board & Police Exam

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An illustration of the plans for the former Mount Auburn Club at 99 Coolidge Ave. A community meeting will be held Monday about the project. One of the first steps in the making of the Watertown school budget will be presented Monday night, a community meeting will be held about the redevelopment of the Mount Auburn Club site, and the Planning Board will discuss two major projects. Watertown Public Schools administrators will present the Fiscal Year 2022 level services budget at Monday’s School Committee meeting, which begins at 7 p.m. That budget shows how much it would cost to preserve the district’s current staffing and programs, with no additions or cuts. It is typically the first major step in the school budget process.

Business

Galen Street Biotech Development Approved by ZBA

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A view of the life sciences building at 66 Galen St. approved by the Zoning Board of Appeals. This view is from Galen Street. The following piece was provided Boston Development Group:

Following months of planning discussions and community meetings, Boston Development Group (BDG) has received approval from the Watertown Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA)  Thursday for a proposed life sciences development at 66 Galen Street in Watertown, Massachusetts. Boston Development Group (BDG), a multifaceted investment management and real estate development firm, plans to build a major life science campus comprised of two phases totaling nearly 450,000 SF of Class A Office/ R&D LAB.

Business

Construction Underway on 9-Story Biotech Building at Arsenal Yards

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A rendering of what the nine-story 100 Forge building at Arsenal Yards will look like. Developers are creating 165,000 sq. ft. of space for biotech companies. The following announcement was provided by Boylston Properties:

Boylston Properties, a Boston-based developer of mixed-use destinations, and institutional investors advised by J.P. Morgan Asset Management, announced a joint venture agreement to proceed with plans to construct 100 Forge, a nine-story 165,600-square-foot lab building at Arsenal Yards in Watertown.

Business

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

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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.