Dive Brief:
- General Electric has scheduled the groundbreaking for its new $200 million, 390,000-square-foot Boston headquarters for May 8, according to The Boston Globe.
- The three-building complex will feature two renovated brick buildings, which will be connected to the new 12-story modern tower that will serve as the company's primary offices. Work has already begun on the renovation portion of the project.
- GE will receive $25 million in property tax breaks over the next 20 years, but that is contingent on the company meeting certain hiring goals.
Dive Insight:
The new Gensler-designed building will also feature a solar installation on top that resembles a sail. Massachusetts general contractor Suffolk Construction will start work on that building as soon as it secures the necessary permits. Construction on the two existing buildings is expected to be complete in 2018, with the new building following in 2019.
GE chose Gensler as the designer for the new building almost a year ago after considering 35 other firms in a 10-week, international search. Gensler came out on top in meeting GE's requirement that the new headquarters center around "employee inspiration and teaming, environmental sustainability, and integration into the Boston innovation ecosystem."
Gensler also is designing global food, facility and uniform services company Aramark's new Philadelphia headquarters. Aramark announced last September that it was moving 13 blocks away from its current headquarters to the top five floors of the former Hudson Motor Car Company building after a planned renovation. When the Aramark space is complete, it will feature an employee dining venue, a fitness center and 8,000 square feet of terraces.
Most recently, the owners of the Queen Mary attraction in Long Beach, CA, announced that Gensler had designed a 65-acre, $250 million complex that they hope will draw traffic to the aging vessel and make it possible for them to earn money for much-needed renovations and repairs. The new attraction, called "Queen Mary Island," will include a 2,400-foot boardwalk, marina, hotel, amphitheater, commercial space and a 150,000-square-foot Urban Legacies complex with family-centric activities.
