Photo of the exterior of the Artist Building at 300 Summer.

Features

Atrium space at the Artist Building at 300 Summer

  • 47 primary residence artist live-work spaces ranging from 1000–2600 s.f.

  • Nine-story building built 1898, brick and steel beam construction

  • Passenger elevator + ADA-compliant freight elevator

  • Café/atrium space owned by the cooperative

  • 7 commercial units (7-9 independently owned businesses) and an art gallery owned and leased out by the cooperative.

  • Trash/recycle room

  • Laundry room

  • Roof deck

  • Storage/darkroom space (very limited availability)

There is no deeded parking associated with the building. Residents who own cars either obtain resident parking stickers and park them on the street or pay to keep them in local garages. Zipcars and car rental options are available nearby.

No work-only or rental space is available.

Upkeep

Rear of 300 Summer Street, Boston

Rear view of 300 Summer St. showing north elevation rainscreen (photo via Berkeley Building Company)

We take care of our beautiful landmarked 1898 building! In 2021, we bulked up our capital reserve plan for major building-related upgrades. The sum of this predictable and periodic reserves funding generates a sustainable $4-5M for repairs every 10 years. The reserve is funded through member fees and sales; the part of the members’ fees allocated to the capital reserve fund is recouped by members when they sell. This plan keeps our capital reserve fund healthy, helping us avoid special assessments—which we've never had to levy.

Work we have done since we purchased and developed the building in 1995:

2007-2008:

  • ROOF: New roof, roof deck, and related roof structures

  • NORTH ELEVATION: Masonry repointed, replaced most windows and sealant on floors 4-7, replaced floor-to-ceiling windows on eight floors

  • EAST ELEVATION: Partial masonry pointing, steel lintels removed/repaired

  • SOUTH ELEVATION: Partial masonry pointing and metal fascia repair

2014-2015:

  • MUA (makeup air): Improved air ventilation in mezzanine atrium/kitchen

  • UPDATED LAUNDRY ROOM: New high-efficiency washers and dryers

  • LIGHTING: New energy-efficient LED lighting added throughout common areas of building

  • BATHROOMS: Remodeled mezzanine-level bathrooms

2017-2022:

  • NORTH ELEVATION: Landmarks-approved rainscreen added to protect against nor’easters

  • EAST ELEVATION: Window replacement, masonry pointing, cornice repair

  • NEW HVAC SYSTEM (heating/cooling): Four new energy efficient boilers, new fan coil units in every space, new roof chiller

  • CLIMATE RESILIENCY: New boilers installed on mezzanine level (old ones were in basement)

  • ELEVATORS: Major upgrades for freight and passenger elevators

  • BASEMENT: Repaired and painted halls; added new lighting; converted old boiler room to facilities manager office/workshop

  • BATHROOMS: Remodeled basement and first floor bathrooms

  • SECURITY: Added new ButterflyMX Entry System and security camera in main entry

Ongoing:

  • The entire façade is inspected every 5 years as required by law.

PROJECTED CAPITAL NEEDS: Replacement of all south windows, south masonry repointing, replacement of three floors of north windows, masonry work on the north side lower level. Additional climate resiliency measures are also being explored.

Location

300 Summer Street, located in Boston’s vibrant Fort Point neighborhood, has high transit marks as follows:

  • Walk Score: 75/100 — Most errands can be accomplished on foot.

  • Transit Score: 94/100 — World-class public transportation.

  • Bike Score: 89/100 — Flat as a pancake, excellent bike lanes.

The building is near:

  • South Station - Amtrak, MBTA Subway and Commuter Rail, regional and national bus service

  • Interstates 90 and 93

  • Harborwalk and waterfront

  • Downtown Boston and Seaport District

  • Logan Airport

  • Institute of Contemporary Art

Cooperative History

To address the shortage of legal artist live/work space available at below-market rates, the Fort Point Arts Community (FPAC), a non-profit advocacy organization for Boston’s artists, acquired 300 Summer Street in 1992. Keen Development was hired as development consultant and construction manager to convert the property into 48 primary residence live/work studios and 7 arts-related commercial condominiums. The renovation scope was extensive but held to a budget of less than $70 per square foot (total development costs).

FPAC chose a limited equity cooperative form of homeownership (one share of stock and proprietary lease per member) for the lofts, which allowed the group to restrict occupancy to visual artists and also ensured that share prices would remain at less than market rate over time. Although financing such co-ops can be challenging, Keen secured construction and permanent loans to complete the development. The result was the opening in 1995 of a thriving artist-owned building.

Developer: Fort Point Arts Community
Consultant: Keen Development Corporation
Architect: Heder Architects, Inc.
Contractor: CWC Builders, Inc.

Read more: Lofty living for artists: Planned warehouse renovation is aimed at legalizing their lifestyle (PDF) — Boston Globe, 27 June 1993

Building History

300 Summer Street c. 1902-1907; Jeremiah Williams and Co., wool. Boston Wharf Co. Photo. Boston Public Library collection

The building at 300 Summer Street is a historic structure originally built for Boston’s wool trade in 1898 by the Boston Wharf Company. With large windows, abundant light, and views of downtown Boston and the harbor, the building was perfectly suited for conversion to artist lofts.

The southern sides of the lower levels of the building feature an exposed seawall from the early days of filling the “South Boston Flats.” The steel-reinforced concrete beams include iron fasteners from which once hung bales of wool. The modest arching stairwell tiles are by architect and builder Rafael Guastavino.

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