Former Boston Herald Building Gets News Life as Mixed-Use Complex

By Veronica Grecu, Associate Editor

Newton-based National Development revealed new details of the redevelopment project that will transform the former Boston Herald headquarters at the corner of Herald Street and Harrison Avenue in the South End into a 6.2-acre mixed-use complex. The original plan submitted to the Boston Redevelopment Authority failed to receive the green light from community representatives as it was considered too small and not dense enough for this part of South Boston.

The development will break ground toward the end of 2012 with the demolition of the old Herald building; the work is estimated to be completed by mid-2014.

The developer–who is also the property’s owner–will invest more than $100 million to create a more pedestrian-oriented area with three new mixed-use buildings ranging from five to nine stories, while the former newspaper plant will be repurposed as well. According to a Boston Herald news article, Elkus Manfredi Architects will design the project which has already been dubbed the “Ink Block” reflecting the newspaper’s presence at the site for over 50 years.

Apart from the residential component, which will include 475 rental units, the project will also feature a 30,000- to 40,000-square-foot grocery story for one of the buildings, as well as restaurants and a number of small shops to improve the pedestrian experience in the area. Prospective tenants will benefit from various amenities such as a roof-level outdoor recreational space with a swimming pool, a theater, a cyber lounge, a fitness center, electric-car charging stations, bike storage and a shared-car service.

Illustration courtesy of Elkus Manfredi Architects