P&G Gillette plans to establish a new Grooming Headquarters and Technical Innovation Center at 232 A St. in South Boston, marking a significant expansion of its local footprint. The company announced that it intends to purchase the property and invest nearly $1 billion to develop the new center, which will sit close to its long-standing headquarters campus in the Fort Point area.
The South Boston site is currently owned by Breakthrough Properties, a joint venture between Tishman Speyer and Bellco Capital. It is already permitted for a 324,315-square-foot research and development facility, which is expected to include ground-floor retail space and a range of community benefits. Gillette’s plan positions the property as the future home of its grooming business leadership and technical innovation functions, consolidating key operations into a purpose-built environment.
The new Technical Innovation Center is designed to support collaboration and product development across Gillette’s grooming portfolio. By relocating these functions to a larger, specialized facility, the company aims to give employees modern tools, capabilities and workspace to support ongoing research and innovation. The planned investment also underscores Gillette’s decision to remain anchored in the same broader neighborhood where it has maintained a headquarters campus for many years.
The announcement follows another recent expansion move for the company. In April 2025, Gillette broke ground on a new manufacturing facility in Andover, MA, further extending its operational presence in the region. Together, the Andover project and the South Boston technical hub signal continued capital deployment into production and research infrastructure to support the grooming business.
“After a comprehensive search, we are pleased to have found a location that continues our longstanding history in this community, provides the right structure for our Technical Innovation Center, and supports neighborhood development,” said Gary Coombe, CEO of P&G Gillette. “Our new space will give our employees the tools, capabilities and environment to collaborate and inspire each other every day.”
The transaction for 232 A St. was facilitated by CBRE, led by vice chairman Jonathan Varholak. While specific financial terms of the property acquisition were not disclosed, the overall development plan represents a major corporate commitment to South Boston and its emerging research and development ecosystem.
