Hines Lands First Lease At 51-Story Spec Office Tower In Boston

One of the few new office buildings under construction in Boston just landed its first tenant. 

Global law firm Jones Day signed a 41K SF lease spanning nearly two floors at Hines' 51-story South Station Tower, the developer announced Thursday. The firm signed a 15-year lease for the 23rd and 24th levels of the building, which is expected to finish in 2025.

Hines broke ground on the 1.2M SF mixed-use project in 2020 after receiving $870M in construction financing, and this is the first lease for the 680K SF of office space. The project also includes 166 Ritz-Carlton-branded condos.

Jones Day has been in Boston since 2011 with an office at nearby 100 High St. 

“This commitment from Jones Day underscores the demand from occupiers for best-in-class, highly amenitized office space that is close to mass transit,” Hines East Region CEO Sarah Hawkins said in a statement. “Tenants are seeking projects that deliver a differentiated, elevated experience to their workforce, which is what South Station Tower is bringing to Boston.”

Other new trophy office towers have been faster to lease up, including MP Boston's 691-foot Winthrop Center, which secured leases from Deloitte and M&T Bank, and Carr Properties' fully leased 1M SF One Congress, which is anchored by State Street.

South Station Tower has seen some interest from major office tenants. 

Bain Capital, which renewed and expanded its 316K SF lease at BXP's 200 Clarendon St. in Back Bay, had been eyeing space at Hines' tower, the Boston Business Journal reported. In 2019, Salesforce was in talks to anchor the tower, Bisnow previously reported.

CORRECTION, DEC. 13, 1 P.M. ET: A previous version of this story misstated the owner of One Congress. The story has been updated.