Jamestown adds to design community

The innovation economy is driving demand for workspaces that offer collaborative, flexible environments, have capacity to combine production and office uses in one location, and offer a mix of amenities. Real estate investment and management firm Jamestown is creating spaces that cater to the needs of Boston's growing entrepreneur, creative, and maker communities at the Innovation and Design Building (IDB). Overlooking the harbor and the skyline, the IBD's floor plates and repetitive infrastructure give tenants great flexibility to design collaborative, open plan environments which allow their businesses to thrive and grow in place. IDB is a 1.4 million s/f mixed-use complex featuring high ceilings and floor-to-ceiling windows that flood the building with natural light. Tenants can take advantage of IDB's interconnected nature by spanning across multiple building addresses, accessing multiple entrances and elevator banks and creating spaces upwards of 100,000 s/f on one floor. Jamestown is expanding its partnership with MassChallenge and the official completion of the new Elkus Manfredi Architects headquarters at the Innovation and Design Building. MADE @ MassChallenge The renowned Boston based startup accelerator, MassChallenge, has signed a lease for an expansion to accommodate a new concept they plan to offer future startups. MADE@ MassChallenge will provide hardware and rapid prototyping space to support early-stage hardware startups and entrepreneurs. The new 5,000 square foot hardware lab will house state-of-the-art professional tools to suit the specialized needs of startups working in robotics, manufacturing, telecommunications, medical devices and other hardware industries. By enabling access to equipment, mentorship, and the world's largest accelerator program, early-stage startups will accelerate their path towards an initial prototype. Hardware development is a unique venture. By accessing the greater manufacturing community and partners such as MassDevelopment, Jabil Circuit, Lightspeed Manufacturing, Arrow Electronics, CONTINUUM, Dragon Innovation, and Healthcare Transformation Lab at MGH, MassChallenge will align its hardware startups with the knowledge capital to grow and accelerate their startup. This unique addition will propel MassChallenge into its next stage and foster growth in various industries. Jamestown will work with MassChallenge on this expansion which will establish another manufacturing center in the IDB complex and serve as an important resource to MassChallenge entrepreneurs. The launch of MADE@ MassChallenge marks the next phase in MassChallenge's evolution as a marquee tenant at the Innovation and Design Building, where it established its new headquarters last summer.