The new headquarters project centers on a research, laboratory and office building that rises about 150 feet, according to documents filed with the Boston Planning and Development Agency. The R&D facility would occupy a 2.4-acre parcel within one of the nation’s largest office and life sciences development clusters, known as the “100 Acres” Planned Development Area.
Breakthrough Properties, the life sciences development platform of Tishman Speyer and Bellco Capital, advanced the project through the Boston permitting process and controls the site.
P&G’s Gillette division plans to establish a new global headquarters and innovation center to serve as the building’s anchor. The facility will consolidate research, engineering and business operations currently housed in several buildings on the company’s Boston campus, the company said in announcing the investment.
“This investment reflects our commitment to the future of Gillette and to Boston, where the brand has been home for more than a century,” Gillette CEO Gary Coombe said in a statement.
Planning documents describe the project as a laboratory-centric facility designed to support research and development activities, incorporating office space and limited civic or commercial uses on the ground floor. The building program covers approximately 335,000 square feet and includes approximately 125 underground parking spaces.
The level of detail in the project submissions is robust, including an estimated average daily water demand of about 27,600 gallons and wastewater generation of about 25,100 gallons. The transportation analysis prepared for the project predicts approximately 1,260 daily vehicle trips once the building is fully occupied.
Engineering plans indicate that parts of the waterfront site will be raised above existing levels to strengthen flood protection along the Fort Point Channel, while new stormwater management infrastructure will capture and treat runoff before discharge into the harbor. Utilities planning documents also describe improved water, sewer and electrical connections to support laboratory systems and mechanical loads.
Project team and construction program
The design is led by the Boston architecture firm Payette, which specializes in laboratories and research facilities. Reed Hilderbrand is in charge of landscape architecture, with Stantec as civil engineer.
The site plan shows the proposed Gillette R&D headquarters at 232 A St. along Boston’s Fort Point Channel, including the building footprint, public waterfront space, and nearby I-90 tunnel infrastructure.
Map courtesy of Breakthrough Properties
The project’s transportation analysis was prepared by VHB and environmental permitting was led by GEI Consultants, according to forms submitted to the city.
Documents outlining the approved development envelope indicate the project team reduced the allowable development capacity from approximately 455,000 square feet to about 335,000 square feet and reduced the maximum building height from 180 feet to 150 feet after agency and community feedback.
The building is designed to integrate with Gillette’s existing campus along the Fort Point Channel waterfront.
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Resilience in front of the sea
Given the site’s location along the Fort Point Channel, the project incorporates coastal resilience measures and public waterfront improvements, according to the Boston Harbor Municipal Planning Framework.
Plans call for approximately 1.5 acres of publicly accessible open space and expanded Harborwalk connections that tie into the waterfront pedestrian network. The project also incorporates grade and landscape improvements to strengthen flood resilience along the canal and address anticipated sea level rise risks to the district.
Planners expect a significant portion of employees to arrive by public transportation, given the site’s proximity to South Station and the MBTA’s Broadway station.
The 100-acre redevelopment district is approximately 31 acres of former industrial land that city planners are transforming into a mixed-use neighborhood combining research and office buildings, housing, retail and public parks.
Boston officials welcomed the investment, noting Gillette’s long presence in the city’s research and manufacturing economy.
“Gillette has been part of Boston’s history for generations, and this investment strengthens the city’s role as a center for innovation and advanced research,” Boston Mayor Michelle Wu said in a statement.
Neither a construction manager for the project nor a construction schedule has been announced.
Construction on the new headquarters is expected to begin next year and could take several years to complete.
After P&G exits its existing manufacturing facility, it will focus on completing a master plan for the redevelopment of the existing campus.
Coombe said he hopes to incorporate a similar “Gillette World Shaving Headquarters” sign at the new headquarters.
“We are proud of our history and our place in the community,” he told the Boston Globe. “We’d love to [for] let people know we’re still there.”
