The Boston Redevelopment Authority board yesterday unanimously approved Suffolk University’s plans to move forward with a new campus building at 20 Somerset St. that will feature general-use and science classrooms, a light-filled cafeteria/function space, and indoor and outdoor lounging areas.
The BRA determined that the building is in accord with the University’s Master Plan and that its impacts – which include relocating all academic classrooms from the residential part of Beacon Hill – will benefit the neighborhood. The University will now work with city, state, and preservation officials to finalize the design for the $62 million building and move forward with construction.
“This building will provide the flexible academic facilities essential for today’s learning and teaching environment,” said Suffolk University President James McCarthy. “At the same time, it shows the value of partnering with neighbors, elected officials and city agencies to find solutions that benefit all.”
The sleek new building, expected to open in summer 2015, will encompass 112,000 square feet in 10 floors, two of them partially or fully below grade. There will be four floors each of general-education and science classrooms of various sizes, providing 1,100 classroom seats. It also will include student support services.
The neighborhood will benefit as active use is restored at the site of the old MDC headquarters, which will be replaced with a building designed to be respectful of its surroundings. The new building will be adjacent to open space, and the state-owned Roemer Plaza will be landscaped to provide an inviting area for students and neighbors to gather.
The University will refit the Donahue and Archer buildings for office space and eventually sell its Fenton Building and annex on Derne Street and the Ridgeway building on Cambridge Street as part of its plan to relocate classrooms.
“Through institutional planning we’re encouraging colleges and universities to look at their assets strategically,” said Mayor Thomas M. Menino. “Suffolk University’s decision to consolidate classroom space in a new building closer to the core of their campus benefits the institution and their neighbors in Beacon Hill.”
The BRA’s approval of the redesigned project is the result of a close collaboration among Suffolk University, elected officials, and a community task force made up of members from surrounding neighborhoods, as well as with its neighbors on Beacon Hill and representatives of the abutting Garden of Peace.
"This is a textbook case of neighbors, elected officials, and the University coming together to craft a project that benefits all," said John Nucci, the University’s vice president for Government and Community Affairs. “We listened very closely to everyone involved, and the result is that we now all agree that this project will be an asset to Suffolk University, Beacon Hill, and the whole area for decades to come.”
The University is working with NBBJ on the design scheme.
Features of the 20 Somerset project include:
- Create more than 300 new construction jobs
- Seek LEED Silver certification for a building to be designed and constructed according to high standards for green design and sustainability
- Relocation of all classrooms and a cafeteria currently located within the residential area of Beacon Hill
- Return an active use to a now-vacant property
- Create a vibrant new public space for use by all through improvements to Roemer Plaza
- Maintain the existing building setback from the adjacent Garden of Peace and provide an appropriate building façade facing the Garden
- Maintain the existing building height, thus producing no new shadow on the Garden of Peace
About Suffolk University
Suffolk University, located in historic downtown Boston, with an international campus in Madrid, is a student-centered institution distinguished by excellence in education and scholarship. Suffolk University offers a wide range of undergraduate and graduate programs in more than 90 areas of study. Its mission is to empower graduates to be successful locally, regionally, and globally.
Related Stories
Design Innovation Report | Apr 27, 2023
BD+C's 2023 Design Innovation Report
Building Design+Construction’s Design Innovation Report presents projects, spaces, and initiatives—and the AEC professionals behind them—that push the boundaries of building design. This year, we feature four novel projects and one building science innovation.
Mixed-Use | Apr 27, 2023
New Jersey turns a brownfield site into Steel Tech, a 3.3-acre mixed-use development
In Jersey City, N.J., a 3.3-acre redevelopment project called Steel Tech will turn a brownfield site into a mixed-use residential high-rise building, a community center, two public plazas, and a business incubator facility. Steel Tech received site plan approval in recent weeks.
Multifamily Housing | Apr 27, 2023
Watch: Specifying materials in multifamily housing projects
A trio of multifamily housing experts discusses trends in materials in their latest developments. Topics include the need to balance aesthetics and durability, the advantages of textured materials, and the benefits of biophilia.
AEC Tech Innovation | Apr 27, 2023
Does your firm use ChatGPT?
Is your firm having success utilizing ChatGPT (or other AI chat tools) on your building projects or as part of your business operations? If so, we want to hear from you.
Concrete Technology | Apr 24, 2023
A housing complex outside Paris is touted as the world’s first fully recycled concrete building
Outside Paris, Holcim, a Swiss-based provider of innovative and sustainable building solutions, and Seqens, a social housing provider in France, are partnering to build Recygénie—a 220-unit housing complex, including 70 social housing units. Holcim is calling the project the world’s first fully recycled concrete building.
Multifamily Housing | Apr 21, 2023
Arlington County, Va., eliminates single-family-only zoning
Arlington County, a Washington, D.C., community that took shape in the 1950s, when single-family homes were the rule in suburbia, recently became one of the first locations on the East Coast to eliminate single-family-only zoning.
Architects | Apr 21, 2023
Architecture billings improve slightly in March
Architecture firms reported a modest increase in March billings. This positive news was tempered by a slight decrease in new design contracts according to a new report released today from The American Institute of Architects (AIA). March was the first time since last September in which billings improved.
Green | Apr 21, 2023
Top 10 green building projects for 2023
The Harvard University Science and Engineering Complex in Boston and the Westwood Hills Nature Center in St. Louis are among the AIA COTE Top Ten Awards honorees for 2023.
Multifamily Housing | Apr 19, 2023
Austin’s historic Rainey Street welcomes a new neighbor: a 48-story mixed-used residential tower
Austin’s historic Rainey Street is welcoming a new neighbor. The Paseo, a 48-story mixed-used residential tower, will bring 557 apartments and two levels of retail to the popular Austin entertainment district, known for houses that have been converted into bungalow bars and restaurants.
Design Innovation Report | Apr 19, 2023
Reinforced concrete walls and fins stiffen and shade the National Bank of Kuwait skyscraper
When the National Bank of Kuwait first conceived its new headquarters more than a decade ago, it wanted to make a statement about passive design with a soaring tower that could withstand the extreme heat of Kuwait City, the country’s desert capital.