LEGO to Play in Boston’s Back Bay

A rendering of the completed 1001 Boylston Street. Image courtesy of Elkus Manfredi Architects

The LEGO Group’s Americas division will move its head office to 1001 Boylston St., an under-development, two-tower, 655,683-square-foot mixed-use development taking shape over the Massachusetts Turnpike in Boston’s Back Bay district.

The toy brick maker will relocate from its current office at the Enfield Business Park in Connecticut in the second quarter of 2025, with a full move-in to the Boylston St. office expected by the end of 2026.

Following its move, the LEGO Group will occupy 100,000 square feet across five floors (from the sixth through the 11th). In a statement, the company said that the move was motivated by both the region’s strong base of engineering, research and development professionals, as well its intent to build relationships with similar companies in the city.

LEGO already has a history in the Boston-Cambridge area; the brand’s Mindstorms line of robotics kits was developed within a nearly 40-year partnership with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Media Lab.

Towering over the Turnpike

A rendering of 1001 Boylston St. Image courtesy of Elkus Manfredi Architects

Construction on 1001 Boylston St. began in July of 2020 at Parcel 12, a plot situated at the intersection of Massachusetts Avenue and Boylston Street, according to Boston.com. The project’s developer is locally based Samuels & Associates. Elkus Manfredi Architects designed the buildings, and Suffolk Construction is the general contractor. CBRE Executive Vice President Eric Smith alongside Senior Vice President Timothy Howe serve as the property’s leasing brokers.

In its initial proposal, the developer called for roughly 325,000 square feet of office space in one 20-story tower, and 150,000 square feet of hospitality space in the other, alongside 70,000 square feet of retail options. In 2019, CarGurus became the offices’ anchor tenant, with the signing of a 273,000-square-foot prelease for the building’s top 11 floors. Presently, the property includes 475,000 square feet of office space.

As of August, both towers have topped off on construction and the office space is currently undergoing interior modeling, tenant fit outs, as well as exterior finishes around its entrance. Both the offices and hotel are having glass curtain walls installed over their window spaces. According to CommercialEdge information, the project is expected to finish construction in November of this year.

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Upon completion, the office spaces at 1001 Boylston St. are anticipated to achieve LEED, WELL and WELL Core Gold certifications. On-site amenities will include a fitness center, wellness room, an attached 150-space parking garage and a rooftop terrace, according to CommercialEdge information. Additionally, the property will feature its own Boston Bluebike station, and will provide easy access to the MBTA Hynes Convention Center station. In its immediate vicinity, the complex is flanked by myriad retail, dining and entertainment offerings, with the Prudential Center lying half a mile to the east.

The Boston.com report states that Amsterdam-based hotelier citizenM will operate the hospitality space.

Office boom in Boston

Boston remains among the strongest office markets in the nation, in nearly all of its fundamentals, with a 10.6 percent vacancy rate, alongside an under-construction pipeline of 15.1 million square feet, according to data from a July 2023 CommercialEdge report. Due to its dense number of research universities, as well as tech, medical and life science companies, the Cradle of Liberty is also proving to be an attractive avenue for investors, seeing $1.3 billion in sales, year-to-date, surpassing both Manhattan and Los Angeles.

Alongside LEGO, the city’s office spaces are attracting other household name brands. In July, WS Development topped out on its construction of One Boston Wharf, a 707,000-square foot office tower that will host Amazon as its full-building tenant.