Developer unwraps plans for new residential/life sciences complex on old Simmons residential campus, with a public hammock grove

Skanska USA yesterday filed detailed plans for the first phase of its planned re-do of what is now a 5.9-acre Simmons University residential quad: Two buildings for life-sciences research and medical offices and a residential tower between Brookline Avenue and Pilgrim Road.

Skanska says that with Boston Planning Department approval, it could begin five to ten years of work on the redevelopment as soon as Simmons finishes its own 21-story "Living and Learning Center" with 1,100 new dorm rooms on its main campus a couple blocks away off the Riverway and Avenue Louis Pasteur - possibly in early 2027.

Simmons would continue to own the land under the Skanska project, which would be subject to a 99-year lease.

The office/research buildings would be 14 and 16 stories. 

The 17-story residential building would have 227 apartments - 45 rented as affordable.  Skanska would also pay $10 million into a city housing fund. It would also set up a $7-milion endowment for the Emerald Necklace park system.

All three buildings would have ground-floor retail and restaurant space and would sit atop a 520-space parking garage, along with construction of a new road between the first and second phases of the project, connecting Pilgrim Road and Brookline Avenue.

The filing describes the building on directly on Brookline Avenue:

The C1 Building seeks to embrace an honesty in its design, reflecting this building and the LMA as a global leader in innovation and research. The power and beauty of science is clearly demonstrated in the building's form, drawing equally from forms seen in nature at geologic and microbiological scales as well as embracing advancements in building technology.

The proposal also calls for roughly 2 acres of publicly accessible green space with the three new buildings.

A key element of the Project is the delivery of the Main Heart, the approximately 31,000 SF open space at the southern edge of the Project Area along Brookline Avenue envisioned for both active and passive uses. There is a notable absence of publicly accessible open space within the LMA, and the Project endeavors to create a new community commons and neighborhood public gathering space that will provide a range of publicly accessible amenities that will seek to activate the corridor from morning until night, complimenting the district’s 24/7 nature. ...

Between R1 [the residential building] and the Winsor School, the Project proposes a new publicly accessible open space featuring site improvements, interactive elements like a hammock grove, landscaping, and lighting.

The filing further describes the Main Heart as bordered by restaurants and shops and an "inviting civic space:"

The Main Heart is envisioned as an urban green oasis that invites people to take a moment to rest. Intimate contemplative areas offer areas for solace and rejuvenation. Interactive design features near Brookline Ave will pull people into the Project and will provide enjoyment for all ages. Seating terraces and planted berms will create a sense of discovery and journey along with moments to pause and look back over the main open space from a variety of perspectives. An area with a publicly accessible play zone, interactive “water steps” and terraced seating beneath the R1 Front Porch create a rich variety of spaces to meet the needs of a breadth of users. The open lawn and plaza spaces will be designed to be flexible to accommodate passive recreation as well as community and private programming and events.

Site map showing walkway on the ground level of the Brookline Avenue building:

The view from Brookline Avenue:

Longwood Place filings and meeting/comment schedules.