High-Dollar Sale Shows Investors Have Noticed Downtown Boston's Class-B Office
With Class-A office properties at sky-high prices — the sale of 1 Kendall Square for $1,072/SF last year — investors are looking for quality Class-B assets to stock their Boston portfolios. A recent transaction in the Ladder District for $400/SF underscores the trend.
Recently Eden Properties snapped up the 53k SF 26 West St. property in the Ladder District, between the Downtown Crossing and Park Street T stations, for $21.8M. “The sale of 26 West St. for more than $400/SF demonstrates the strength and depth of the Class-B Downtown market," said Colliers International EVP Scott Dragos, who repped the seller, Synergy Investments.
26 West St. generated a lot of buyer interest, receiving more than 15 offers, Dragos said. "There's high demand with tenants and investors right now, so with that trend and its location virtually atop two major MBTA stations, it’s no surprise that pricing shook out where it did.” It is a solid price for Class-B, but a bargain compared with Class-A.
About two-thirds of the property is leased long term to the Service Employees International Union. Dragos said the asset offers steady income for the buyer, but also an upside potential for the retail component.
Class-B fundamentals are strong in a number of core Boston submarkets, according to Colliers International data. In the Financial District, for instance, Class-B vacancy was 8.9% at the end of 2016, compared to Class-A vacancy of 12.3%.
