CAMBRIDGE, MA--(Marketwired - Jul 8, 2014) - Wood Partners and Lend Lease will host a Topping Out Ceremony to celebrate the completion of steel framing and placement of the final beam at Z I N C, a 392-unit luxury apartment community at 22 Water Street in Cambridge, on July 8.
Attendees will be able to sign the topping-out beam from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. before it is erected at 11:45 a.m. Lunch will be served at noon.
"We at Wood Partners are pleased to celebrate the achievement of this milestone with our dedicated team of consultants, subcontractor community, building officials and construction professionals," said Rick Dickason, Wood Partners' regional director. "This project has extended the skyline to the north with architecture that will elevate the region's norms and we are doing so through groundbreaking innovation in construction practices. Thank you to everyone involved; we all have much to be proud of here."
Developed by Wood Partners and constructed by Lend Lease, Z I N C was designed by Symmes Maini & McKee Associates (SMMA) with landscape design by Copley Wolff and interior design by Planeta Basque Boston. Monogram Residential Trust, Inc. (formerly Behringer Harvard) is the equity partner and managing owner. The property will be managed by Monogram Apartment Collection, LLC.
Designed with a modern cement-panel facade that reflects the progressive Cambridge neighborhood in which it resides, Z I N C borders the future elevated Green Line and a new urban neighborhood still in the planning stages to the east. Located adjacent to the NorthPoint development district, Z I N C is located across Water Street from the soon-to-be relocated MBTA Lechmere Station. Every day, thousands of commuters on the new elevated train line will get a glimpse of the 15-story high-rise building's 15,000 square foot highly-designed outdoor living amenity complete with fireplace, water feature, grilling stations and mature landscaping.
Studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments averaging 793 square feet will feature full-size washers and dryers and condominium-quality finishes including quartz countertops and stainless steel appliances. Common-area amenities will include a clubhouse with a state-of-the-art fitness center, club room, cyber café, pet spa, bicycle workshop and 206 covered bike racks. A standout feature for this property is the 15,000 square foot outdoor living room which will include multiple grilling stations, TV's and a water feature.
Residents will be able to commute to major employment centers in or near Boston using the adjacent MBTA Lechmere Green line station, or via Interstate 93, Storrow Drive and Memorial Drive. MBTA bus services provide immediate connections to Kendall Square and other points north and west. The property is connected to a community pathway that connects residents to points north as well as downtown Boston and Kendall Square.
"This is truly a transit-oriented, walkable, bikeable location," Dickason said.
Z I N C is situated in a highly desirable submarket that includes two of the nation's top universities (Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology), as well as renowned healthcare institutions and leaders in the technology and biotechnology industries.
"We're very excited to celebrate the topping out of this highly anticipated project," said Howard Hobbs, Lend Lease project executive. "I want to take the time to thank the Local 7 iron workers, all the construction workers, Monogram, Wood Partners, SMMA and our Lend Lease project team for reaching this important project milestone. I look forward to the successful completion of this project with this highly dedicated team."
The Lend Lease project team made use of several innovations to safely install the building's structural steel and subsequent superstructure, including horizontal safety netting, steel erector utilizing warehouse platforms (replacing ladders), perimeter beam fabrication and erection with guardrail system, and a permanent stair installation to the steel erectors' work deck.
"When the project was first conceived, the goals were to connect East Cambridge and NorthPoint to create a pedestrian open space, to spur redevelopment of infrastructure, to integrate with the broader vision of multi-modal smart growth, to push the limits of sustainability, and to create the public image of NorthPoint from the extended Green Line," said Brian Lawlor, SMMA principal. "This project accomplishes all of these goals."
About Wood Partners
Wood Partners is a national real estate company that acquires, develops, constructs and property manages high density and mixed-use communities. It ranks consistently among the top five multifamily developers in the country. Through quality construction, responsible land development and intelligent design, our communities reflect the aesthetic and social fabric of the community and provide a luxurious living experience at a fair price. The company has been involved in the acquisition and development of more than 49,000 homes with a combined value of more than $7.6 billion nationwide. The company currently owns 77 properties with a combined total of 20,200+ units. Wood Partners has offices in 16 major markets nationwide including Atlanta, Baltimore, Delray Beach/South Florida, Boston, Charlotte, Dallas, Denver, Houston, New York, Southern California, Orlando, Phoenix, Raleigh-Durham, San Francisco, Seattle, and Washington, D.C. To learn more about Wood Partners, please visit our website, www.woodpartners.com.
About Lend Lease
Lend Lease is a leading international property and infrastructure group. Listed on the Australian Securities Exchange and with circa 16,500 employees worldwide, the firm's capabilities span the property and infrastructure spectrum. In the US, Lend Lease offers over 95 years of experience in the project management and construction industry. In the past decade alone, the firm has provided construction services on over 2,500 projects for 1,100 clients nationwide. The company provides a full range of construction services including construction management, general contracting, program management, project management, design/build and consulting services. We create innovative and sustainable property solutions, forging partnerships and delivering maximum benefits to clients, investors and communities. Safety is our number one priority and Lend Lease is committed to operating Incident & Injury Free wherever we have a presence.www.lendlease.com
About Monogram Residential Trust, Inc.
Monogram Residential Trust, Inc. (the REIT), is a Plano, Texas-based real estate investment trust that invests in, develops and operates high quality multifamily communities offering location and lifestyle amenities. The REIT invests in stabilized operating properties and properties in various phases of development, with a focus on communities located in the top 50 Metropolitan Statistical Areas of the United States. The REIT's portfolio includes investments in 57 multifamily communities in 12 states comprising 16,306 apartment homes.
About SMMA
Founded in 1955, SMMA is a design firm specializing in Architecture, Engineering, Interior Design and Planning. With offices in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Chapel Hill, North Carolina and Providence, Rhode Island, the firm offers a multi-disciplinary approach grounded in the values of responsible design. SMMA's expertise spans multiple project types guided by six core practice studios - Advanced Technology/Mission Critical; Corporate and Commercial; Government; Health + Science, Higher Education; and K-12.