Fraunhofer Center Breaks Ground at Historic Fort Point Building

By Haley Wilcox

In its industrial prime, Midway Street in Fort Point was filled with warehouses, many of which stored wool that was manufactured in Boston and Western Massachusetts and shipped worldwide. At that time, Boston was the international leader in textile production, and the fully stocked warehouses of what is now Boston’s Fort Point Channel Landmark District were bursting at the seams.

The wool may be gone, but the area still recalls its industrial past, as many warehouses are being adapted for commercial and residential use. Under a new moniker of Channel Center, Midway Street is being redeveloped as a mixed-use project consisting of over 200 residences and 1.1 million square feet of new and restored office and retail space. GE Asset Management, CB Richard Ellis Group, and Commonwealth Ventures are all working together to create “the ultimate mixed-use community in Boston’s newest neighborhood.”

In tune with the theme of innovation, Fraunhofer Center for Sustainable Energy Systems recently broke ground on a 50,000 square foot research facility at 5 Channel Center. Founded in 2008, the Fraunhofer CSE will work closely with Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems and MIT in the area of solar technology and energy-efficient building.

The building itself will serve as a showcase for the technologies, illustrating how sustainability can be applied to historic structures. With the necessity of sustainable building growing exponentially over the years, Fraunhofer CSE will be contributing research which will greatly benefit the field of sustainability with respect to new and historic structures. The research center will serve as a model for sustainable adaptive reuse, providing an example for a field which is becoming more and more valued amongst historic preservation advocates. It is also a prime example of Mayor Menino’s success in launching Boston’s Seaport Innovation District.

The Boston Preservation Alliance has supported the project at 5 Channel Center before the Fort Point Channel Landmark District Commission and as a candidate for Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credits. We look forward to the project’s completion and the building’s occupancy for a use that undoubtedly will bring more activity to this emerging area.