While the owners of the former Boston Edison site on Summer and East First Street are enticing the Arts and Cultural community of South Boston with grandiose offers of space and resources to enlist their support of an outsized luxury mixed-use development, veteran developer Joe Fallon has offered the proverbial ‘lay-up’ at Fan Pier on the South Boston Waterfront. Granted, there is a Request For Proposal (RFP) process underway, but given the support that Mayor Marty Walsh received from the South Boston community and the support he has expressed for the local arts community during his State of the City, the process is tailor made for a successful proposal. This opportunity, if ignored, could be both a strategic and tactical mistake given the current opposition to the Edison Project. The Arts Groups have either rejected other venues presented to them or been rejected as a partner by several developers. This a terrific opportunity. 50 Liberty is the seventh build – ing to be constructed by the Fallon Company, as part of the Fan Pier project, an approximately three million square foot mixeduse development on the South Boston Waterfront. The 50 Liberty Civic/Cultural Space consists of 5,000 square feet of gross floor area on the southeast corner of the first floor of 50 Liberty, and the balance of 8,166 square feet of gross floor area is on the second floor of 50 Liberty. Fallon, in conjunction with the BPDA, is seeking letters of in – terest from Boston-based qualified civic and cultural operators to lease the 50 Liberty Civic/ Cultural Space. The Landlord will lease the 50 Liberty Civic/Cultural Space to the selected user for an annual triple net rent of $1.00. The selected user will, of course, be responsible for the maintenance of the space, all of their insurance, and a pro rata share of operating expenses for 50 Liberty allocated to the space. It is currently estimated that such monthly operating expenses will be less than $0.40 per square foot in the first year of operation of the Condominium. The selected user will receive a $25 PSF-construction allowance (totaling $329,150) toward improvements to the warm, white space necessary or desirable for occupancy. Completion of 50 Liberty is expected ARTS Community in the first quarter of 2018 and occupancy expected upon execution of lease. The RFP is now available with a due date of February 2, 2018 at 5PM by emailing Erikk.Ho – kenson@boston.gov. A pre-bidder ’s conference will be held today January 18, 2018 at 3PM at 50 Fan Pier Boulevard, South Boston – on the South Boston Waterfront.
