Shaw Alley Bans Wheels

We got a status update on Boston Properties' 535 Mission, with news there's a hip new alleyway going next to it. (How often have you heard the phrase "hip new alleyway" in your life?)

We spoke with Boston project manager Aaron Fenton this morning, who tells us 535's glass curtain wall will be done in mid-May and the crane and lift will come down in early June. The mayor just inked an ordinance giving Boston the OK to permanently shutter Shaw Alley to car traffic, effective in the next 30 days. The new pedestrian path will be huge in connecting Transbay Terminal to Market Street, he says. Alley work kicks off this summer, which includes tearing out asphalt and installing LED lighting to create a nice ambiance walking along the alley (similar to King Street).

We got this exclusive high-up shot of the project yesterday from across the street at 555 Mission. The project is shooting for a Halloween delivery date (fun fact: Vanilla Ice was also born on Halloween), and Boston is starting to work with Trulia on their space and design. The housing giant wants to move in by the end of the year, going for the standard open-office floor plan tech tenants love, with breakout rooms and large and small conference areas. Trulia is doubling its square footage, moving into 80k SF. 535 is designed for 100 SF per person, which means it could technically squeeze in 800 employees if it maximized density, but 400 to 600 employees is his guess.

Here's an exclusive rendering of Shaw Alley looking towards Minna and the new terminal (535, left). More deals are expected to close in the next several months. Lots of interest is coming from professional services, which seem to be following techies around (every tech company needs an attorney, he points out). Because 535 has smaller, more intimate floor plates, it means a lot for a 12k SF to 16k SF tenant to get its own floor. Boston was going to put in permanent tables and chairs along the alleyway, but city planners didn't want to impede foot traffic. (The foot-heavy area's going to feel like New York's Grand Central during rush hour once the terminal opens.) Food trucks won't be allowed, but he's considering a food vendor to set up shop if the fit is right.