Bedford, MA – BW Kennedy is transforming 35 Crosby Drive, a former industrial flex property used for light manufacturing and office space, into a state-of-the-art life sciences and R&D facility for owner W.P. Carey. Headquartered in New York City, W.P. Carey is one of the largest net lease REITs, with over 1,600 properties across 177 million sq. ft.
BW Kennedy is working with architect Perkins + Will on the 226,000sf project, which involves renovating and upgrading a 3-story building and parking area on a 20.25-acre parcel in Bedford. Built in 1967 and renovated in 1999, the building required significant upgrades to make it suitable for life science and R&D tenants. Beginning in July 2024, BW Kennedy prioritized selective demolition of areas needed to facilitate fit-out of the leased space. Improvements include a new shared tenant entry lobby, 7,500 lb. freight elevator, six packaged rooftop heating/cooling units, a new hot-water boiler system, and loading dock levelers and doors. Also included are sitework improvements such as new electrical vehicle charging spaces, signage, landscaping, and repaving and restriping of the entire parking surface.
In addition to the core and shell renovations, BW Kennedy & Co. is concurrently performing the fit-out work for major tenant Persimmon Technologies, a global provider of robotics and electric motors, specializing in vacuum robotics for semiconductor, LED, and flat panel display equipment markets worldwide. Designed by Perkins + Will, 35 Crosby Drive will serve as Persimmon Technologies’ North American headquarters, supporting manufacturing, testing, and R&D operations. With a planned occupancy in October of 2025, the new facility will double their footprint to over 140,000sf.
With Newmark and Colliers as brokers, the W. P. Carey/Persimmon lease was named the 2024 Industrial Deal of the Year by the Commercial Broker Association (CBA), representing one of the largest advanced manufacturing leases in the North Market. BW Kennedy is well into the project and on schedule for completion this fall.
