News
Permits Pave the Way
July 21, 2010
| Shire?s late June $165M purchase of Lexington Technology Park(one of the largest deals of the year) called for orchestrating lots of moving parts over many years. Seemingly minor details like how much roof area mechanicals can occupy were huge. Bob Buckley and Mark Vaughan, who lead Riemer & Braunstein?s land use/permitting group, and helped pull the deal together, explain. |
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| In Riemer?s Boston office, we snapped Karen Catino and Bob, who began working with developer Patriot Partners and the Town of Lexington in '04 to alter rules so biotech firms like Shire could set up shop. That tony suburb decided to allow commercial manufacturing at Lexington Technology Park and expand to 50% (from about 30%), the amount of rooftop area mechanical systems could occupy. He says such changes made it possible for Shire to have a modern biotech factory on the site and tells other biotech firms that Lexington welcomes them. Since permitting takes years, Bob says, ?communities that prepare for new businesses in advance will be winners.? |
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| Here, Mark, with Julie Picher, discusses another land-use project they're doing: a new grad center for the study of homeland security being developed by Northeastern on its Burlington campus.Construction will start in a few months on the 100k SF building to be completed mid-2011. Mark said his team aims to build partnerships with municipalities. As an educational institution, NU didn't have to comply with some town rules, but did anyway to be a good neighbor. For instance, it installed a modern drainage system. Mark tells us, for its part, the town recognized the value of having a vibrant university in its midst and permitted the new building to go up to 45? rather than the usual 30?. |
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| Bob, Mark, Maria Forte, Ethan Solomon, and Kevin Simard reflect the team approach they take. Ethan, for one, is a land-use planner who speaks the same language as the local planning staffs with whom they work. He can highlight aspects of developers? plans that address vital planning issues. Bob tells us that in an economy that has ?decimated? many local budgets, municipalities more readily see the value of inviting in new businesses. For the localities, it's wise to have zoning in place that cutting-edge businesses require. When choosing a new location, ?companies don't want maybes,? Mark says. |
