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
University Buildings | Jun 28, 2024
The American University in Cairo launches a 270,000-sf expansion of its campus in New Cairo, Egypt
In New Cairo, Egypt, The American University in Cairo (AUC) has broken ground on a roughly 270,000-sf expansion of its campus. The project encompasses two new buildings intended to enhance the physical campus and support AUC’s mission to provide top-tier education and research.
MFPRO+ New Projects | Jun 27, 2024
Chicago’s long-vacant Spire site will be home to a two-tower residential development
In downtown Chicago, the site of the planned Chicago Spire, at the confluence of Lake Michigan and the Chicago River, has sat vacant since construction ceased in the wake of the Great Recession. In the next few years, the site will be home to a new two-tower residential development, 400 Lake Shore.
Codes and Standards | Jun 27, 2024
Berkeley, Calif., voters will decide whether to tax large buildings with gas hookups
After a court struck down a first-in-the-nation ban on gas hookups in new buildings last year, voters in Berkeley, Calif., will have their say in November on a measure to tax large buildings that use natural gas.
Mass Timber | Jun 26, 2024
Oregon State University builds a first-of-its-kind mass timber research lab
In Corvallis, Oreg., the Jen-Hsun Huang and Lori Mills Huang Collaborative Innovation Complex at Oregon State University aims to achieve a distinction among the world’s experimental research labs: It will be the first all-mass-timber lab meeting rigorous vibration criteria (2000 micro-inches per second, or MIPS).
Sustainability | Jun 26, 2024
5 ways ESG can influence design and create opportunities
Gensler sustainability leaders Stacey Olson, Anthony Brower, and Audrey Handelman share five ways they're rethinking designing for ESG, using a science-based approach that can impact the ESG value chain.
Student Housing | Jun 25, 2024
P3 student housing project with 176 units slated for Purdue University Fort Wayne
A public/private partnership will fund a four-story, 213,000 sf apartment complex on Purdue University Fort Wayne’s (PFW’s) North Campus in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The P3 entity was formed exclusively for this property.
Sustainability | Jun 24, 2024
CBRE to use Climate X platform to help clients calculate climate-related risks
CBRE will use risk analysis platform Climate X to provide climate risk data to commercial renters and property owners. The agreement will help clients calculate climate-related risks and return on investments for retrofits or acquisitions that can boost resiliency.
MFPRO+ News | Jun 24, 2024
‘Yes in God’s Backyard’ movement could create more affordable housing
The so-called “Yes in God’s Backyard” (YIGBY) movement, where houses of worship convert their properties to housing, could help alleviate the serious housing crisis affecting many communities around the country.
Student Housing | Jun 20, 2024
How student housing developments are evolving to meet new expectations
The days of uninspired dorm rooms with little more than a bed and a communal bathroom down the hall are long gone. Students increasingly seek inclusive design, communities to enhance learning and living, and a focus on wellness that encompasses everything from meditation spaces to mental health resources.
Museums | Jun 20, 2024
Connecticut’s Bruce Museum more than doubles its size with a 42,000-sf, three-floor addition
In Greenwich, Conn., the Bruce Museum, a multidisciplinary institution highlighting art, science, and history, has undergone a campus revitalization and expansion that more than doubles the museum’s size. Designed by EskewDumezRipple and built by Turner Construction, the project includes a 42,000-sf, three-floor addition as well as a comprehensive renovation of the 32,500-sf museum, which was originally built as a private home in the mid-19th century and expanded in the early 1990s.
