**Cambridge Approves BioMed Realty’s Plan for Office-to-Lab Conversion**
The Cambridge, Massachusetts Planning Board has granted a special permit to Blackstone and BioMed Realty for the redevelopment of 350 Massachusetts Avenue. The plan allows for the transformation of the current five-story office building, located near MIT, into life sciences laboratories.
Currently, the 118,265-square-foot brick-and-steel building sits largely vacant, with empty office and retail spaces resulting from shifting market demands since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“This proposed change will revitalize the building and better align with current market demands, which, particularly in Cambridge, favor life sciences and research spaces,” the project application stated.
Under the approved proposal, the building’s second through fifth floors will be reconfigured to comprise 60% laboratory space and 40% office space. The ground floor will continue to house retail businesses. While the building—originally constructed in the late 1990s—will undergo some facade improvements, developers have expressed their intent to preserve its original brick veneer and distinctive arches.
BioMed Realty acquired the property in 2021 from Brookfield Asset Management as part of a broader transaction. With this redevelopment, the project aims to contribute to Cambridge’s growing life sciences ecosystem.
