Takeda at Lexington Technology Park

Developers Atlantic Management purchased a 95-acre corporate campus in Lexington, MA with the goal of attracting a prestige tenant from greater Boston’s life science industry. The now-redeveloped site is home to Takeda Pharmaceuticals, whose drug development programs take place across several buildings on campus.

The project involved creating a master plan for almost one million square feet of life science space and securing a host of permit approvals from state and local agencies. The reimagined campus boasts a flexible site design to accommodate the needs of future tenants while protecting open space for future generations.

From the first site visit, the team recognized the significance of the property.

The campus had served as a global headquarters to an aerospace and defense company. Its landscape and buildings hailed from an earlier era, albeit with a unique look. As careful stewards of the site, Atlantic Management and SMMA sought to respect the land’s character and value.

The team began by exploring various redevelopment options. One idea, a mix of commercial office, residential, retail, and hotel development, was rejected as not the optimal use of land. Instead, the final design accommodates a mixed-use life science program that better preserves the most significant features of the landscape.

In 2005 Shire, a drug development company since acquired by Takeda, became the first tenant at Lexington Technology Park.

Permitting at Lexington Technology Park

2002

SMMA assists Patriot Partners with the acquisition and master planning of the existing site.

2004

Town Meeting approves re-zoning of land to a planned commercial district to include life science and manufacturing uses. The approved design protects the downstream water supply in the Hobbs Brook Reservoir.

2007

SMMA leads several permitting efforts for ongoing and future development, including:

Filing an environmental notification form with the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs under the Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act for the expansion of the Park to 630,000 square feet of building space—includes a review of stormwater design, wetland resources, water supply, wastewater, traffic impacts, and historical assets

Filing with the Zoning Board of Appeals for a special permit and site plan approval for the construction of 400 Shire Way, a 212,000 sf pharmaceutical manufacturing and office building, and definitive site development and use plan to demonstrate conformance with the preliminary site development and use plan approved at Town Meeting in 2004

Filing a notice of intent with the Conservation Commission and the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection for the proposed development of 400 Shire Way and the future development of 200 and 300 Shire Way

2009

Lexington Town Meeting approves another expansion of the Park, increasing building space to 1,076,600 square feet.

2010

Shire (now Takeda) purchases the campus outright.

Civil engineering and landscape design work throughout the campus includes:

A new primary electric-service infrastructure project over 200 feet in length, which required filing a notice of intent with the Conservation Commission
A site lighting and walkway project that included filing a request for determination with the same Commission
An upgrade of pre-existing parking for ADA/MAAB compliance
Zoning Board of Appeals permitting and site design for microbulk tank containment at 125 Spring Street
Assistance with the design and execution of 35+ acres of restricted conservation space
Continued consulting for various projects and proposals for development

The expansion and redevelopment of the property was mutually beneficial for Shire (now Takeda) and the Town of Lexington. The tenant maintained its position as a global leader in developing therapies for rare disorders, with Lexington as its center for research and development. The employee population of the campus reached over 2,000.

To date, SMMA has provided civil engineering and landscape design services for approximately 400,000 square feet of new manufacturing and research building construction on the campus. This includes architecture, interior design, and structural engineering services.