Somerville Boynton Yards Developers Scoop Up 3.1-Acre Site

SOMERVILLE, Ma — Boynton Yards developers Leggat McCall Properties and DLJ Real Estate Capital Partners recently acquired a 3.1-acre site at 29 Harding St., next door to 3.5 acres they already own. The property, which they bought from the Gentle Giant Moving Company, is key in developers' plan to create a "vibrant new neighborhood in Boynton Yards."

Developers are planning a mixed-use community totaling over 1 million square feet, which will include tech- and life science-focused commercial spaces, multifamily housing, neighborhood retail and open space.

Gentle Giant will relocate its corporate office and storage facility to Winchester and also operate out of a site in Charlestown.

"Acquiring the Gentle Giant site is a critical milestone in our plan or transform Boynton Yards from an isolated underutilized industrial area into a vital work-live-play neighborhood," John Fenton, principal of DLJ Real Estate Capital Partners, said in a statement. "After a lengthy collaboration effort, both parties are pleased to have arrived at a solution that is a significant win for all."

The Harding Street site borders the upcoming Green Line stop in Union Square and is adjacent to 101 South Street, on which a 289,000-square-foot lab building is being built. The lab is expected to be completed in 2021 and jumpstart the initial phases of the Boynton Yards project.

A ceremony to officially launch the project will be held this fall.