Anchor Line Partners and JLL to transform One Post Office Sq.

Boston, MA Anchor Line Partners and Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL) presented plans for One Post Office Sq. The 41-story iconic downtown building, across from Norman B. Leventhal Park and adjacent to the Langham Hotel, will undergo a transformation unprecedented in the local real estate market to deliver a vibrant and connected center of energy and innovation asset, reimagined as a beacon for downtown.

JLL/Anchor Line challenged global architecture firm Gensler to rethink conventional office building paradigms and to deliver a new world-class office experience for the worker of the future. Collectively, the team has delivered on that challenge, with a proposed design that fulfills not only the environmental, economic, and health goals of today’s leading organizations, but also the demand for integrated and diverse amenities for both tenants and the public to access. 

One of the most noticeable changes will be to the existing façade of One Post Office Sq. with a new glass curtainwall, the top floor will include a glass expression which has come to be known as ‘The Lantern,’ for its glowing visibility of the skyline. 

One Post Office Sq. will also be highlighted by a new transparent glass structure at the lower levels where three stories of retail and dining, almost 8,000 s/f, will transform the building’s relationship to the street. Formerly a dark passage between the building and the hotel, the glass pavilion will be open to the public and inviting at the street-level which overlooks Leventhal Park.

“The benefits of this revitalization will extend beyond the brick and mortar for years to come. Our city has shown tremendous leadership in planning for a strong economic future with collaborative initiatives such as Imagine 2030. As building owners and developers, we must challenge ourselves and do our part, in partnership with the city,” said Andrew Maher, co-founder and managing partner, Anchor Line.

“Leveraging an existing tower to transform it to a world-class office experience through a series of strategic design elements is an extraordinary opportunity,” said Doug Gensler, managing director and principal in Gensler’s Boston office.  

In addition, the team has proposed several new and dynamic indoor-outdoor opportunities for tenants and the public, designed to add richness and vitality to the downtown. The proposed outdoor spaces are plentiful, and included on multiple levels. 

Michael Connelly, senior Vice President at JLL’s Project and Development Services team commented, “In addition to the incredible improvements planned for the existing tower, one of the most exciting updates is a new ten story building planned to be constructed above the garage on Oliver Street.” Construction is expected to begin in the third quarter of 2018.

Anchor Line Partners, LLC is a Boston-based investment firm focused on core plus, value add and opportunistic investment opportunities in the commercial real estate sector. Founded in 2013 by Brian Chaisson and Andrew Maher, Anchor Line Partners has acquired over 2.5 million s/f of office buildings in the area. The partners have extensive experience in repositioning several high-profile downtown Boston towers over the last several years.

JLL is a leading professional services firm that specializes in real estate and investment management. A Fortune 500 company, JLL helps real estate owners, occupiers and investors achieve their business ambitions. In 2016, JLL had revenue of $6.8 billion and fee revenue of $5.8 billion and, on behalf of clients, managed 4.4 billion s/ft, or 409 million square meters, and completed sales acquisitions and finance transactions of approximately $136 billion. At the end of the first quarter of 2017, JLL had nearly 300 corporate offices, operations in over 80 countries and a global workforce of more than 78,000. As of March 31, 2017, LaSalle Investment Management had $58.0 billion of real estate under asset management.