
May 21, 2008 -
Front Section
Berkeley Investments Inc. has purchased two office buildings from Blue Cross Blue Shield, which will continue to occupy space until its new headquarters is completed.
The two buildings, totaling 237,776 s/f, are in the downtown Empire District, an area undergoing redevelopment near I-95. One Empire Plaza is a 99,648 s/f Class B building and 15 LaSalle Sq. is a 138,128 s/f Class A building. Both are six stories.
The transaction is Berkeley's first in the Providence market.
Berkeley has chosen Grubb & Ellis as the leasing broker for 160,000 s/f of office space it is developing in a 19th-century factory building in Waltham, Mass.
Berkeley plans a mixed-use project at the 400,000 s/f complex that was the site of the Waltham Watch Co. starting in the mid-1800s. Plans call for office space, loft-style apartments, retail and other amenities. The initial phase of the project is expected to be completed in May 2009.