Arsenal Mall Set To Become Tech, Hipster 'Mecca'

A partnership of a leading medical tech firm and a national development firm is eyeing the Arsenal Mall and two contiguous parcels into a "cool place to live and play." 

Those words by athenahealth CEO Jonathan Bush announced a partnership with his electronic medical records firm with developers Boylston Properties and Wilder Co. to transform what the group called "a black hole" of retail and small offices into nearly 250,000 square feet of start-up firms, "hip" restaurants, upscale retail and loft apartments and condominiums for a new collection of residents of tech "whiz kids."

The development will need to be approved by the town's planning agencies. 

The location of the mega-development will include the Arsenal on the Charles complex – recently purchased by athenahealth from Harvard University for nearly $170 million – as well as the mall, the Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates building at 485 Arsenal St., and the Golfsmith store at 615 Arsenal St. purchased by Boylston Properties. 

The former Charles River Saab location across Arsenal Street from the mall was also purchased by Boylston Properties purchased with the idea of building a hotel on the site. 

“It’s a repositioning of the property,” said William P. McQuillan, principal of Boylston Properties in an article in the Boston Globe. “There’s a tremendous amount of transformational opportunity.”

According to McQuillan, the partnership will follow a "de-mall" trend across the country where malls are replaced by mixed-use developments. In the Globe report, one of the partners predicted a retail component similar to the Wayside shopping center in Burlington, with sidewalks, outdoor cafes and additional landscaping.