Shown (from left) are: Skanska vice president of development Charles Leatherbee; Boston Arts Academy headmaster Anne Clark; mayor Martin Walsh; Emerson College president and BAA board of directions president Lee Pelton; senior deputy superintendent Barbara Deane-Williams from the Boston Public Schools and BAA choir students.

Boston, MA Skanska USA has broken ground on its fifth development project in the Greater Boston area –1350 Boylston St., a 17-story, 183,000 s/f residential tower in The Fenway.

To celebrate this milestone, Skanska is making a $10,000 donation to Boston Arts Academy (BAA) to support continued arts education. Based in The Fenway, BAA is the city’s only public high school for the visual and performing arts. Skanska executives gathered today at BAA with mayor Walsh and leaders and staff from BAA and Boston Public Schools (BPS) to make their donation. The ceremony included a live musical performance by BAA students.

“I thank Skanska for not only being a leader in the development community, but also for their commitment and investment in our local community,” said mayor Walsh. “Their commitment to supporting arts education in the Boston Public Schools builds upon our vision of ensuring a future where art will play a pivotal role in Boston’s cultural landscape, and their commitment to creating additional housing will bring residents closer to the great cultural and educational institutions in the Fenway neighborhood.” 

“We wanted to do something meaningful with a direct impact on The Fenway community to celebrate 1350 Boylston’s groundbreaking,” said Charles Leatherbee, vice president of Skanska USA commercial development. “We believe in BAA’s mission and are proud to support their commitment of educating Boston’s youth in the arts.”

“As more and more of our young artists consider careers in design, engineering, and technology, we at Boston Arts Academy are grateful to a global leader like Skanska USA for honoring our work with this significant contribution,” said Anne Clark, headmaster, BAA.

“The Boston Arts Academy looks for talented youth who might not otherwise have an opportunity to develop their artistic skills,” said Barbara Deane-Williams, senior deputy superintendent of Boston Public Schools (BPS). “BPS is thankful for this donation from Skanska, which will help make a real difference in the lives of our students.”

Come fall 2017, Skanska’s residential development at 1350 Boylston, targeting LEED Gold certification, will include 212 apartments and 7,008 s/f of ground-floor retail.

Located in the heart of The Fenway, 1350 Boylston is within walking distance to some of Boston’s most iconic entertainment and sporting venues, cultural destinations, and healthcare and educational institutions. Situated at the intersection of Boylston and Kilmarnock Streets, the project will benefit from its proximity to the MBTA’s Green Line and the Yawkey commuter rail station, and is well-situated for residents to take advantage of the neighborhood’s convenient amenities, shops, restaurants and open space.

Skanska USA Commercial Development invests in and develops customer-focused, highly sustainable office and multi-family properties in Boston, Houston, Seattle and Washington, D.C. Since 2008, Skanska has invested more than $1 billion in nearly a dozen projects in its select markets. Skanska self-finances the majority of its projects and serves as the construction manager. The group has developed projects for such clients as Brooks Sports, PricewaterhouseCoopers and Tommy Bahama.