WS Development Tops Out Boston Office Tower

One Boston Wharf. Image courtesy of WS Development

WS Development has topped out One Boston Wharf, a 707,000-square-foot office building in Boston. The developer began construction on the project in summer 2021, with delivery expected in 2024. Turner Construction serves as general contractor; Copenhagen-based Henning Larsen collaborated with Gensler for the development’s design.

Once completed, One Boston Wharf is expected to be the city’s largest net-zero carbon office building. The structure will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than 90 percent compared to code requirements and will eliminate 5.1 million pounds of CO₂ emissions each year.

READ ALSO: The Big City Rebound and Its CRE Implications

Rising 17 stories at 1 Boston Wharf Road, the tower will also include 77,000 square feet of retail when complete. Amazon already committed to leasing the entirety of the property’s office space, amounting to 630,000 square feet, in January 2021. Amenities will include multiple outdoor terraces, a public space, as well as the 700-seat Seaport Performing Arts Center, that will be located on the second and third floors of the building.

One Boston Wharf is part of Boston Seaport, the single largest active development project in Boston’s history. The 33-acre mixed-use district is currently home to more than 350 companies and includes 7.6 million square feet for various uses, featuring residential, hotel, office, retail and entertainment, among others.

Amazon, a repeat tenant

Before One Boston Wharf, WS Development completed another office high-rise in Boston Seaport, again with the help of Turner Construction. In November 2020, the companies topped out the 525,000-square-foot 111 Harbor Way, which Amazon had also leased the majority of.

WS Development has a portfolio that includes more than 100 properties totaling more than 22 million square feet of existing space. An additional 9 million square feet are in the developer’s pipeline.

More recently, WS Development and Nuveen Real Estate refinanced their 675,000-square-foot grocery-anchored, lifestyle center in Dedham, Mass., with a $190 million loan. Whole Foods, Apple, L.L. Bean and Showcase Cinemas anchor the property.