This week the BRA gave the go-ahead for the development of the 230k SF 321 Harrison office building by Nordblom Co and Rubenstein Partners. Nordblom EVP and partner Og Hunnewell says it's part of the transformation of South End.

The growth of bioscience and biotech, especially with the South End as an incubator for those industries, is driving demand for the kind of space Nordblom and Rubenstein are developing, Og tells us. (Og's shown here with Todd Nordblom and Steve Logan.) "Housing in the area has been very dynamic as well. The youthful energy among the people who want to live there is remarkable," he says.

Many new residents are bioscience and biotech workers who want to live near their jobs. "We plan to create headquarters-quality corporate office space in the location to tap into the demand we're seeing here," says Rubenstein SVP Deke Schultze.

Nordblom has been involved in the South End for about 10 years, Og says, and he's seen it transform into a 24-hour neighborhood—a change that might not have been predictable a decade ago. "It's so close to the Back Bay, but until recently, the area's been invisible," he says. That's not the case any more.

The partners bought the 321 Harrison development site, and the adjacent existing 1000 Washington St office building, for $75M in early 2015. Together the properties will comprise 466k SF, and will be connected at lobby level, according to the approved plan.