Workers 'Top Off' Wegmans Building at Chestnut Hill Square Development [PHOTOS]

Crews hoisted the final steel beam on to the first building yesterday, marking a major construction milestone in the Route 9 development. 

This first building, which is one of three that will be constructed on the site, will house a , an Equinox fitness club, a  restaurant and specialty shops, according to a press release issued by New England Development. 

Now that the final beam is in place for the 200,000-square-foot building, the structure's "skin" -- the glass and masonry -- will be added next. 

In addition to the retail, restaurants and supermarket, this first building will also feature 60,000 square feet of "premier" medical office space. New England Development is expecting to sign leases with a wide range of medical professionals including radiology, orthopedics, OBGYN, dermatology and dentist practices, the press release said. 

Crews have already broke ground on the two other buildings in the development and steel beams for those buildings should be going up in early October, according to New England Development Vice President for Marketing and Public Affairs Deborah Black.

When it is completed, the entire retail, office and residential development at 200-230 Boylston St. (the former Omni Foods site) will total 340,000 square feet. The development is set to open in fall 2013. 

Meanwhile, more plans for medical offices are developing next door at the Atrium Mall,, a medical office and business complex. 

Across Route 9, WS Development is also , which includes the reconstruction and redevelopment of the Chestnut Hill Shopping Center. When completed, the shopping center will include , a , and a . 

More information about the Chestnut Hill Square 'topping off' is included in this press release from New England Development:

Steel Topping Off at Chestnut Hill Square 

(Newton, MA)  New England Development topped off the first building at Chestnut Hill Square today, which will feature medical office space, Equinox Fitness Club, Wegmans Food Markets, Brio Tuscan Grille, and specialty stores. Construction workers hoisted the final beam into place for this 200,000 square feet building.  Chestnut Hill Square, which will open fall of 2013, will feature specialty shops, restaurants, Wegmans and Equinox, together with medical offices. 

New England Development is in discussions with both institutional and independent medical office users about leasing space in the Medical Offices at Chestnut Hill Square and expects to sign leases with doctors in OBGYN, primary care, radiology, orthopedics, concierge medicine, dental, and dermatology practices.  Douglass Karp, Executive Vice President of New England Development, commented, “We’re pleased to be seeing so much interest from medical office users who are excited about the opportunity to be part of our project.” Frank Nelson, Executive Director of Cushman & Wakefield’s Medical Practice Group, leasing agent for the medical space, added, “Chestnut Hill Square is the first ‘Class A’ medical building to be built in Brookline/Newton in over twenty years.”

A number of factors are attracting these physician practices to Chestnut Hill Square.   The building will feature 60,000 square feet of newly constructed premier medical office space, specifically designed for the convenience of patients, doctors and staff.  Additionally, there will be direct access into Chestnut Hill Square from both Route 9 east- and westbound and from The Mall at Chestnut Hill Square via a newly signalized intersection;  plentiful garage and surface parking; and on-site amenities including Equinox, Wegmans, specialty stores and restaurants.

The Medical Offices at Chestnut Hill Square has been designed from the outset with the requirements of medical professionals in mind, including: efficient, easily sub-dividable 30,000 square foot floor plates;  two oversized passenger elevators plus; generous ceiling heights for clinical, surgical, and imaging use; outstanding floor load capacity; tenant-controlled, multi-zone HVAC; robust power; vertical plumbing penetrations designed for medical office distribution, and abundant garage and surface parking providing easy access for doctors, patients and staff. 

The Medical Offices at Chestnut Hill Square are located in the backyard of the largest concentration of medical professionals in the region.  The building is quickly accessible from towns such as Newton, Brookline, Needham, Wellesley and Weston, and provides doctors, staff and patients with swift access to the Longwood Medical Area and Boston’s major thoroughfares.

About New England Development

Founded by Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Stephen R. Karp in 1978, New England Development is one of the nation’s premier real estate development and management companies, with nearly 50 million square feet of retail, commercial and residential space to its credit. Led by Steve Karp, together with principals Steven S. Fischman and Douglass E. Karp, New England Development is acclaimed for creating imaginative, high-quality real estate developments. They have demonstrated time and time again their expertise in turning the most challenging situations into the most successful projects. These developments include mixed use complexes featuring retail, residential, hotel and office uses; lifestyle retail centers; power centers; marinas; golf courses; resort and convention hotel properties; even an entire planned community. 

Known for having redefined shopping convenience with some of the country’s most widely recognized and successful enclosed regional malls, New England Development has experience developing, leasing and managing properties across the country. They have built more retail space in the past 30 years than any other developer in the Northeast. By working closely with residents, neighborhood leaders, investors, and tenants, New England Development has developed centers that reflect the best of their communities and have become, in many ways, communities themselves.