Boston Business Journal
January 5, 2021
By Catherine Carlock
Newton-based National Development and Boston-based The Mount Vernon Co. plan to jointly develop a three-building, 650,000-square-foot life science and office campus at 1170 Soldiers Field Road in Allston, the longtime home to WBZ-TV’s studio. National and Mount Vernon’s letter of intent, filed this week with the Boston Planning and Development Agency, follows last month’s BPDA approval of the developers’ joint plans to develop a 65,000-square-foot studio for the CBS affiliate at the adjacent 1200 Soldiers Field Road.
The first of National and Mount Vernon’s planned three buildings will span 210,000 square feet and rise eight stories, with two levels of underground parking.
“The site at 1170 Soldiers Field Road is at the center of Allston’s emerging life science cluster,” said Ted Tye, managing partner of National Development, in a statement. “As part of our plan, we will provide substantial public open space within the property and important connections between Western Ave and the Charles River.”
Building the life science and office buildings will follow National and Mount Vernon developing the new WBZ studio. Construction on the studio is expected to start later this year.
“The overall project will allow the CBS-owned station to remain within the city with a new, iconic building and updated technology,” said Bruce Percelay, chairman of The Mount Vernon Co., in a statement.