WS Development celebrates the
opening of 16-story 400 Summer St.

Boston, MA Marking a significant milestone in the development of Boston Seaport, WS Development celebrated the opening of 400 Summer St. The LEED Platinum certified building is the new headquarters of Foundation Medicine, one of the largest life sciences organizations to move to the city since 2011, and the city’s first highway air rights project completed since 1983.

The Seaport neighborhood has transformed into a hub for technology, life sciences, and retail, and the completion of 400 Summer St. represents a pivotal moment for the neighborhood’s progress. 400 Summer St. is a 16-story laboratory building designed by Morris Adjmi Architects of New York City in collaboration with the Boston office of Stantec, LeMessurier Consultants, Buro Happold, Haley & Aldrich, and Nitsch Engineering. The building totals 630,000 s/f and includes 600,000 s/f of laboratory and office space. It will also host 30,000 s/f of neighborhood retail uses. The project includes the construction of the Summer St. Steps adjacent to the building, which provide a welcoming pedestrian and bicycle connection from Summer St. to Congress St., leading to Harbor Way at the heart of the Seaport neighborhood and Boston Harbor beyond. It is a critical step in connecting the South Boston neighborhood and the South Station transportation hub to the Seaport, bridging a divide dating back to 1889 when the original Summer St. Bridge was constructed. It is also a key access point to the Seaport neighborhood for guests of The Boston Convention & Exhibition Center, and a public gathering place for community programming and activations.

“We are very proud to introduce this beautiful building at the gateway to the Seaport, a global epicenter for innovation and technology. As we welcome Foundation Medicine to the Seaport, this model of sustainable development stands as a testament to this neighborhood’s transformation. It is a major achievement that further solidifies the Seaport’s position at the forefront of scientific innovation globally,” said Jeremy Sclar, chairman & CEO of WS Development.

“Boston thrives on bridging communities, neighborhoods, and residents as we build a vibrant innovation economy,” said mayor Michelle Wu. “Congratulations to WS Development on the completion of this transformational project, to help bring our communities closer together and keeps our economy growing to support all of our city’s residents.”

“Massachusetts has always excelled at public-private collaboration to advance our economic development and job creation goals,” said lieutenant governor Kim Dricoll in a statement. “400 Summer St. is a prime example of what we can achieve when industry and government work together with a shared sense of purpose and a common goal.”