The Boston Planning & Development Agency has granted approval for the initial phase of Skanska’s Longwood Place redevelopment, advancing a large mixed-use project in the Longwood Medical Area. The decision covers the first three planned buildings on the former Simmons University residential campus along Brookline Avenue and allows Skanska to move forward with detailed planning and implementation.
The approved phase includes two commercial buildings and one residential building, along with below-grade parking and a package of public realm improvements. According to the plan, these elements are intended to introduce a mix of housing, workspaces, retail offerings and community amenities that integrate with the surrounding medical and academic institutions in the Longwood Medical Area.
Skanska describes the unanimous approval as the result of a lengthy planning and community engagement process. Russ DeMartino, executive vice president for Skanska USA Commercial Development in Boston, said the BPDA vote represents a meaningful step forward for Longwood Place and reflects years of collaboration with community stakeholders, city officials and project partners. He characterized the project as thoughtfully designed to be responsive to its surroundings and closely connected to the broader Longwood Medical Area.
Longwood Place is planned as a phased redevelopment of a nearly six-acre site on Simmons University’s current property. The vision for the full project calls for approximately 1,700,000 square feet of mixed uses, spanning residential, laboratory, office, clinical, retail and community spaces. The multiphase structure of the plan is intended to allow the site to be transformed over time while maintaining continuity of uses across the property.
The below-grade parking component is designed to support the new buildings while freeing up surface areas for pedestrian circulation and public realm enhancements. The public improvements referenced in the approval include upgraded open spaces and connectivity features that aim to better link the project site with its Longwood Medical Area context along Brookline Avenue.
With this BPDA action, Skanska can now proceed with the first three buildings that anchor the broader Longwood Place master plan. Subsequent phases will be needed to deliver the balance of the approximately 1.7 million square feet of planned residential, laboratory, office, clinical, retail and community uses across the full site.
