Suffolk awarded Boston post office renovation project

Suffolk Construction has been selected by institutional investment advisor, Bentall Kennedy, as construction manager on the renovation of 50 Post Office Square. Formerly 185 Franklin Street, the art deco high-rise building located in Boston’s Financial District will be open to the public for the first time in 60 years upon completion.

The renovation will feature updates to the building’s lobby, common areas, and commercial space, including the addition of 21,000 square feet of retail space, 110 new below-grade parking spaces, and a rehabilitated streetscape. A new public entrance will be built on High Street, and the Franklin Street entrance will be redesigned.

The first phase of the redevelopment will incorporate street-level retail space and updates to the surrounding landscaping, while the second phase will focus on modernizing the building’s infrastructure and revitalizing the lobby. The project will include sustainable design elements to achieve LEED certification.

Situated in a busy public square, 50 Post Office Square will require extensive coordination of all construction activity. The building will remain occupied throughout construction, which is scheduled for completion in 2013. Additional work will take place as lease agreements are executed. BD+C

LPA Architects conducted a post-occupancy evaluation, or POE, of the eSTEM Academy, a new high school specializing in health/medical and design/engineering Career Technical Education, in Eastvale, Calif. The POE helped LPA, the Riverside County Office of Education, and the Corona-Norco Unified School District gain a better understanding of which design innovations—such as movable walls, flex furniture, collaborative spaces, indoor-outdoor activity areas, and a student union—enhanced the education program, and how well students and teachers used these innovations.

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