Unidine Corp. and Nordic Properties recently completed a 18,500 s/f, 10-year lease for Unidine, a food and dining management services company that serves hospitals, senior facilities, and businesses. The company will relocate its international headquarters to 1000 Washington St. from its current office at One Gateway Center in Newton. Unidine's headquarters will occupy space on the fifth and eleventh floors, with the eleventh floor serving as a culinary training center and test kitchen. Unidine will also operate the dining services throughout the building.
The FHO Partners team of John Boyle, partner and Will Foley, partner, represented Unidine in the transaction. The CBRE/NE team of David Fitzgerald, executive vice president/partner, and Bill Crean, senior vice president/partner, represented the landlord, Nordic Properties, in the transaction.
"This move is a critical component of our strategy to position the company for growth. Our new Boston headquarters provides the opportunity to design a cutting edge workspace reflective of the values and culture that have propelled our success as the leading food and dining management service company for senior facilities, hospitals, and businesses," said Unidine president and CEO Richard Schenkel.
Schenkel believes the new space will also enhance training and development at Unidine. The new cafeteria, training center and test kitchen on the eleventh floor will accelerate the development of the culinary and service offerings that differentiate the company and provide a showcase for some of the more innovative sustainable and green programs that are made available to clients.
"We are thrilled to accommodate Unidine's new corporate headquarters," said Nordic Properties' President Og Hunnewell. "The building has the location, amenities and views that make it appealing for a Boston flagship office and Unidine is an excellent addition to both the tenant roster and the dining services for the building."
Renovated in 2009, 1000 Washington Street is an 11-story, 242,240 square foot office building that offers premium office space, on-site 310-car parking, a cafeteria and close proximity to an array of retail and dining opportunities. The property's prominent location on the leading edge of Boston's next great neighborhood makes this a truly revolutionary option for forward-looking companies that desire a downtown address without the usual congestion and logistical headaches. 1000 Washington Street is a true value alternative for any company needing a downtown Boston address. 1000 Washington Street offers outstanding tenant identity and visibility, with exceptional city views, an on-site cafeteria and fitness center, as well as the attached parking garage. It also offers the amenities of one of Boston's most stylish neighborhoods, the South End, with its numerous restaurants, bars and retail shops.

Also Nordic Properties announced today that a new 28,871 square foot lease has been signed at 1000 Washington Street in Boston, Massachusetts. National Indemnity Company, one of the leading property/casualty members of the Berkshire Hathaway group of insurance companies, leased the entire fourth floor and a portion of the second floor of the building.

"The decision for National Indemnity to relocate to 1000 Washington Street is a testament to the building and the long-standing success of its ownership and management by Nordic/Nordblom," said CBRE/NE's David Fitzgerald.

Cushman & Wakefield's Tim Bianchi and Deb Gould secured National Indemnity on behalf of Nordic Properties. David Campbell of Newmark Knight Frank represented National Indemnity in the transaction.

The area surrounding 1000 Washington Street is on a strong development growth curve. Some specific projects currently underway in the immediate location include the Boston Herald Site and 275 Albany Street. Initial plans for the Boston Herald Site call for a 350,000 square foot mixed-use project that will include dynamic street-level retail (likely grocery-anchored) and 250-270 rental residential units in a five-story building. This project will make a dramatic impact on the streetscape. Additionally, 275 Albany Street is a proposed development that has been designed and permitted to include two hotels: a 16-story, 210-room select-service hotel, which will include a restaurant on its first floor, and a nine-story, 198-room extended-stay hotel. Both hotels will be well located to serve the Financial District, as well as visitors to Boston's two major convention venues: the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center and the Hynes Convention Center, located in the Seaport and Back Bay districts, respectively.



Unidine Corporation was founded in 2001 and focuses exclusively on food and dining management service for senior facilities, hospitals and businesses. Since the company's founding, Unidine has become one of the nation's fastest-growing food and dining management service companies, now with over 1,500 employees. Unidine serves clients in over 150 locations across the United States. The Boston Business Journal Pacesetters has recognized Unidine as one of the fastest growing private companies in New England in 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2011. Most recently, President & CEO, Richard Schenkel won the Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2011 New England in the service category. For more information, visit www.unidine.com.

Nordic Properties was established in 1995 and has transacted more than seven million square feet of real estate worth over $1 billion. It is the real estate investment affiliate of Nordblom Company, a distinguished Boston-area full-service real estate firm. Offering clients access to the resources needed to make projects successful and executives who drive the development process, the company brings a unique approach to real estate development with key decision-makers who work directly and actively on every project. For more information, visit www.nordicproperties.com.

FHO Partners is a commercial real estate firm offering a full range of brokerage, consulting, strategic planning, research, lease administration, marketing, lease auditing, lease portfolio and transaction management services for corporate and institutional clients alike. The senior partners of the firm have worked together for over 20 years providing customized advisory consulting and brokerage services to an extensive range of corporate and institutional clients, both locally and on a national and international basis. For more information, visit www.fhopartners.com or call 617-279-4555.

CB Richard Ellis Group, Inc. (NYSE:CBG), a Fortune 500 and S&P 500 company headquartered in Los Angeles, is the world's largest commercial real estate services firm (in terms of 2010 revenue). The Company has approximately 31,000 employees (excluding affiliates), and serves real estate owners, investors and occupiers through more than 300 offices (excluding affiliates) worldwide. CB Richard Ellis - N.E. Partners, LP, a CB Richard Ellis Joint Venture has offices in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Maine and New Hampshire. Please visit www.cbre-ne.com for additional information.