Suffolk Construction to manage main building of GE's $200M Boston headquarters

Dive Brief:

General Electric announced Friday that Suffolk Construction Co. will act as construction manager for the main office building in its new $200 million Boston headquarters, according to The Boston Globe.
Suffolk will consult on the design, schedule and costs of the new 12-story, 295,000-square-foot anchor building with architecture firm Gensler, but GE has not given any indication yet that the general contractor will work on the 2.5-acre complex’s two former factory buildings, which will also make up part of GE's campus, according to the Boston Business Journal.
On Thursday, GE wrapped up a deal with the state’s development arm, MassDevelopment, for the purchase of the $83 million property. The state picked up $57.4 million of the cost as part of a $120 million state tax break package.

Dive Insight:

GE released plans in August for its new Gensler-designed global headquarters campus in the Fort Point Channel neighborhood of Boston. Construction on the 400,000-square-foot complex is expected to be complete in 2018.

Suffolk is the largest contractor in Massachusetts, with $2.5 billion in total 2015 revenue, $1.6 billion of that generated by projects in Massachusetts. While the company has built — or is building — such projects as Boston’s Millennium Tower and a 61-story Four Seasons Hotel, the company's largest project underway involves its $1 billion contract for the $2.1 billion Wynn Boston Harbor casino and hotel in Everett, MA.

Wynn awarded Suffolk the project in January, but progress was hindered by protests on a few fronts. First, unsuccessful competitors for the region's one available gaming license lodged complaints with the Massachusetts Gaming Commission over its award to Wynn. Secondly, the mayor of neighboring town Somerville appealed the project's environmental permit, one designed specifically for waterside construction projects. .

While Suffolk remained neutral during the legal battles, local government and union officials petitioned the mayor to drop his suit because it was postponing the addition of approximately 4,000 union construction jobs and 4,000 permanent jobs. In July, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection gave Wynn a 50-year environmental permit with some conditions attached, such as 2 more acres of open space and possible development of a ferry service between downtown Boston and docks near the casino.

Then, in late October, the state gaming commission approved the casino and hotel design, paving the way for construction to begin. Wynn said the venue is on track to open in June 2019.