BOSTON, MA — MC Real Estate Partners LLC (MCRE), together with a private capital partner, has acquired a historically authentic 76,000-square-foot building at 110 Chauncy Street in downtown Boston from private owners and simultaneously completed a long-term lease agreement with global design firm Sasaki for the majority of the building’s office space.

As a key component of the transaction, Sasaki simultaneously signed a 16-year lease and will be the primary occupant of the eight-story building, which will house its over 250 Boston-based employees and the Sasaki Foundation in the top seven floors. Designated as landlord’s architect, Sasaki will lead the design and buildout of its new office interiors and private roof deck, in addition to working with MCRE to redesign other elements of the architecturally significant 1890s-era building, including the lobby, retail space, and entrance.

“We’re so grateful to partner with Sasaki in creating their next generation office at 110 Chauncy,” said Steve Grant, Managing Principal of MCRE. “MCRE shares Sasaki’s belief in the enduring appeal of workplaces set within energized urban environments. The transactions announced ... reflect that belief, and mark the beginning of our collaboration to dramatically improve 110 Chauncy in appearance and modern functionality.”

Sasaki’s move to downtown Boston comes on the heels of the sale of its long-time headquarters in Watertown, Massachusetts, last month to Berkeley Investments. 110 Chauncy Street puts the design firm at the nexus of dynamic Boston communities, being only minutes from myriad transportation hubs, including Logan Airport, allowing the growing firm to continue cultivating a diversity of clients, project types, and talent.

“We believe in workplaces as fundamental to seeding collaboration and innovation — the lifeblood of a creative firm like Sasaki,” said Liz von Goeler, Chair of External Relations and Workplace Design Principal at Sasaki. “We jumped at the chance to partner with MCRE on pioneering a sensitive, sustainable, and flexible recasting of historic 110 Chauncy as a model for the future of workplace design in Boston and beyond."

Sasaki and MCRE will begin the renovation of the building’s interiors in Q2 2021 and are targeting Sasaki’s local workforce being settled in its new global headquarters by early 2022. Significant base building improvements are also planned for the 1899-vintage property, toward MCRE’s goal of creating a modern class A creative office building ready for a pandemic-sensitive world. Among other new features, enhanced HVAC systems will deliver an increase in fresh air, and the addition of bicycle storage and showers in the basement increases transportation options. MCRE also plans to lease up office space vacancies on the first and basement floors as part of its business plan.