Shown (from left) are: Jon Davis, CEO and founder, The Davis Companies; Sandra Clarke, chief of administration/deputy director for the Community Development Department, city of Cambridge; Richard McCready, president, The Davis Companies; Jan Devereux, city councilor, city of Cambridge; Brian Fallon, president, The Davis Companies Development Group.

Cambridge, MA The Davis Companies (TDC) commenced construction of The Alewife Research Center (The ARC), a Class-A, transit-oriented, 223,000 s/f lab building with ground-floor retail, located at 35 Cambridgepark Dr. Scheduled for completion in summer 2018, the property is perfect for growing companies seeking modern, new construction with an onsite parking garage, amenities, and access to Greater Boston’s growing talent pool. The ARC is adjacent to the Alewife Subway Station, minutes from both Kendall Sq. and Harvard Sq. via the MBTA Red Line subway, and readily accessible from the Metro West suburbs via Rte. 2. This premier location provides great value for life science and pharmaceutical companies requiring flexible, Class-A lab space in a sustainable environment.

“The Cambridge market is one of the healthiest and tightest R&D / lab submarkets in the world with nearly no current or near-term supply to meet the growing demand,” said Brian Fallon, president of TDC Development Group. “We are operating on an aggressive construction schedule to deliver The ARC by summer 2018, enabling more companies to move to this area and contribute to Cambridge’s impressive reputation as a prime center for research and discovery.”

The Davis Companies has assembled a highly experienced, best-in-class team, including renowned architecture firm Spagnolo Gisness & Associates (SGA), AHA Consulting Engineers, and John Moriarty & Associates to complete the development, targeting LEED Gold certification.

“The ARC is architecturally significant as it will be one of the first buildings visible when entering West Cambridge, and is located on one of the last parcels of underdeveloped land available in Cambridge. Consistent with the Alewife Master Plan, we’ve created an attractive urban façade with surrounding green space that will improve the public realm and the pedestrian experience in West Cambridge,” said SGA founding partner Jeff Tompkins, IIDA, LEED AP.  “We’ve designed various life science buildings in Kendall Square and are thrilled to apply our expertise to The ARC to bring a best-in-class, sustainable lab building with flexible spaces that tenants can customize to meet their specific MEP requirements.”

The ARC will feature a grand lobby with a two-story atrium and gathering spaces, offering a variety of seating areas; highly flexible lab and R&D space; an employee lounge; conference meeting area; a fitness workout area with showers and lockers; and a bike room with secure storage. Unique for West Cambridge, The ARC will offer an abundance of green space with outdoor seating, creating a perfect setting for lunch in the warmer months.

 “Life science space remains scarce throughout Cambridge, yet at this time we are tracking 55 active tenant laboratory requirements totaling 2.1 million s/f in a 10 million s/f laboratory market with only 500,000 s/f of current availability and zero vacancy in the 600,000 s/f Alewife cluster,” said Newmark Grubb Knight Frank executive managing director Mark Winters who is representing The Davis Companies in leasing the building. “The Davis Companies’ vision for The ARC brings high-quality new construction to this outstanding location on an impressive timeline. The firm’s proven history of providing tenants with prime business settings with amenities and outstanding property management that continuously exceeds tenants’ expectations will of course be reflected at the property.”

TDC is developing a variety of other projects throughout the Greater Boston area including: 75 Moulton St., a 37,500 s/f lab and R&D building in Cambridge’s Fresh Pond Technology Park that will be completed by spring 2017; a 270-unit, multi-family rental community at the Center at Corporate Dr. in Burlington, Mass. and Telford 180, an 85 unit condominium building in Allston, Mass.