The Abbey Group will begin demolishing the former Boston Flower Exchange building on Albany Street in the South End this month, quickly making way for a groundbreaking on their first building.
In a letter to neighbors, the company announced that they planned to begin fencing off and disconnecting utilities at the sprawling, one-story Flower Exchange. Once that is completed, they said they would begin demolition.
“Beginning later this month, the demolition of the existing structure at 540 Albany St. will commence,” read the letter. “This will include fencing in the site and disconnecting all utilities to the building. We anticipate that work will be conducted during normal business hours, and in accordance with local restrictions. After the site is ready, the demolition is complete and our preparatory work is in order, we will break ground on the first of the four buildings that will comprise Exchange South End’s campus.”
The Abbey Group did not immediately respond to requests for comments on the milestone for the massive commercial project, which is still being marketed as a “state-of-the-art life sciences and technology campus.”
The first building on the campus will be a 12-story, 450,000 square-foot office/laboratory building that will also contain a community space, street-level retail spaces and underground parking. The first phase will also feature the construction of the Albany Green open space – a one-acre green space in the center of the development. Other neighborhood improvements are also to be part of the first phase.
Abbey Group also announced that Suffolk Construction would be the general contractor, bringing the huge construction firm in control of large developments on both sides of Albany Street – the other being The Smith by Leggat McCall. Cory Belculfine, a 12-year resident of the South End, and his team will oversee and manage the construction of this project