Skanska USA celebrate topping out of 101 Seaport - 17-story, 440,000 s/f office building with ground-floor retail space

Skanska USA topped out Seaport Sq.'s first office tower, 101 Seaport - a 17-story, 440,000 s/f office building with 20,000 s/f of ground-floor retail. To celebrate the topping out, local political officials along with executives from Skanska and anchor tenant PwC US joined a crew of more than 120 construction workersto sign, lift, and place 101 Seaport's final steel beam on top of the building, marking its structural completion. "This milestone brings us one step closer to making our vision a reality - transforming Seaport Blvd. into a thriving and energetic city block that will spur significant economic growth for the city," said Shawn Hurley, executive vice president of Skanska USA Commercial Development in Boston. "Thank you to our dedicated construction team for creating one of the most recognizable and sustainable office buildings in Greater Boston," said Kerim Evin, executive vice president of Skanska USA Building in Boston. 101 Seaport is targeting LEED Platinum certification. As part of this initiative, the team's goal is to remove 96 percent of waste from the jobsite, and utilize environmentally-friendly construction methods, such as prefabricating certain components of the mechanical systems the building will use. When complete in October 2015, the building will offer 10-foot floor-to-ceiling windows, introducing substantial natural light, beautiful, scenic views of Boston's historic waterfront, and an elegant lobby built with locally-sourced materials such as wood from reclaimed piles from Boston Harbor. It will also feature bike racks and an on-site fitness center to encourage employee health and wellness. PwC will be 101 Seaport's anchor tenant, occupying 75% of the building with its new Boston headquarters. "It's great to see the substantial progress on the future home of PwC, and we are looking forward to moving our 3,000 people into this state-of-the-art space next fall," said Barry Nearhos, managing partner for PwC's Boston office. "We are eager to start a new chapter in our long history of serving companies in Boston." The project also falls under the Boston Resident Jobs Program, which aims to increase employment opportunities for Boston's women and minority workers. 101 Seaport is located immediately adjacent to Skanska USA's additional development projects in the Seaport District - Watermark Seaport, a 300,000 s/f multifamily development in partnership with Twining Properties which is currently underway; and 121 Seaport, a future 420,000 s/f tower with ground floor retail. 101 Seaport, 121 Seaport, and Watermark Seaport are located across Seaport Blvd. from District Hall and the future Seaport Sq. Green, just steps away from the MBTA Silver Line and minutes from the MBTA Red Line and commuter lines at South Station.