New Life Sciences Labs OK’d in Downtown Boston

At its November meeting, the Boston Planning & Development Agency (BPDA) approved three new life sciences lab development projects for downtown Boston:

• At 125 Lincoln Street,on the border between the Leather District and Chinatown, Oxford Properties plans to convert a dilapidated building housing parking, retail, and office space, into a new, 11-story research and development building with ground floor retail space. In support of life sciences jobs creation, the project will contribute approximately $200K to MassBioEd to provide STEM education resources and a pathway to biotech and life science jobs for Boston residents. An additional $50K will go to the Josiah Quincy Elementary School for STEM education.
• At 51 Melcher Street in Fort Point, a building formerly used as office space will be converted for life sciences labs by developer GI Partners, preserving the historic building and protecting it from sea level rise. The renovation and conversion project is expected to create approximately 300 life sciences jobs upon completion.
• Lastly, a project at 310 Northern Avenue (Parcel X)in the Raymond L. Flynn Marine Park on the South Boston Waterfront will redevelop the site into two new research and development buildings. In a swap designed to preserve the maritime industry, the project will build a new seafood processing center on a portion of the Massport Marine Terminal site and relocate two seafood processing businesses currently located on Parcel X. (Source: Boston Planning & Development Agency Website, 17 November, 2022)