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Berkeley Investments (Berkeley) today announced that Culture Pop Soda, a rapidly growing functional soda brand, will be leasing over 6,000 square feet of space in the company’s 64 Pleasant Street development in Watertown, Massachusetts. Culture Pop joins current tenant Via Separations, a growing clean tech startup, which signed a lease for more than 50,000 square feet of Class A lab space last year. Situated along the Charles River in Watertown, 64 Pleasant was recently redeveloped by Berkeley into a dynamic new hub of innovative companies, and was recently the location chosen by Governor Maura Healey to promote her climate tech Initiative investment of $1.3 billion, from the headquarters of Via Separations.

“We’re excited to relocate our offices to 64 Pleasant Street in Watertown,” says Tom First, Founder and CEO of Culture Pop Soda and co-founder of Nantucket Nectars. “This building’s rich history of innovation, research and product development is a perfect fit for our brand. Our new space will enable us to grow our team and attract best-in-class talent to continue building a leading brand in our category.”

Adds Dan McGrath, Berkeley’s Senior Vice President and Director of Asset Management, “Culture Pop Soda perfectly complements the lab, life sciences and clean tech companies that a building like 64 Pleasant is appealing to. Culture Pop prides itself on clean living, with a really clean ingredient list, and we think their business model is ideally suited for 64 Pleasant. They’ll fit in perfectly with Via Separations and the additional one or two life sciences and lab tenants we hope to attract in the near future and we are excited to link like-minded, forward-thinking companies in the same incubator tech space. 64 Pleasant is a unique building with best-in-class design where our tenants can work, collaborate, and innovate together against the scenic backdrop of the Charles River.”

Purchased from globally renowned architectural firm Sasaki back in 2021, Berkeley has transformed the 64 Pleasant Street site into state-of-the-art lab space in one of Watertown’s most iconic buildings. The historic mill and industrial building has often been recognized for pioneering innovative breakthroughs in the paper, manufacturing, printing and laundry service industries, before serving as Sasaki’s global headquarters for over 40 years.

Today, 64 Pleasant is a 105,000-square-foot mill building situated along the Charles River that Berkeley has thoroughly renovated to accommodate innovative, growing technology and life sciences companies in the center of Watertown. Berkeley has completed the highly complex base buildout that converted the 160-year-old building into a modern lab and R&D center. It features Class A lab space and amenities, including a spacious fitness wing with holistic amenities, cafe, conference center, ample bike storage, communal kitchen and commissioned artwork throughout the space. The outdoor patio and remaining available workspace provide sweeping views of the Charles River, making it one of the most sought after places to work in greater Boston. The building’s location offers easy access to public transit, the Massachusetts Turnpike, the Watertown Connector Shuttle to Harvard Square, and the Charles River Greenway Bike Path.

In this 64 Pleasant leasing transaction, Culture Pop Soda was represented by Nat Kessler and Sam Crossan of JLL. Newmark’s Dan Krysiak, Dave Townsend, Juliette Reiter, and Catie Tilton represented Berkeley. A Senior Managing Director in Newmark’s Boston office, Krysiak shares, “Working closely with Berkeley, we identified a location within the 64 Pleasant building that was ideal for Culture Pop’s use and provided them with the creative space they were searching for to reflect their brand identity. There’s a flexibility in the space that allows Culture POP to commence construction and design quickly thereby allowing their team to move in by the end of this year. While we continue to cultivate lab, life sciences and clean tech tenants who appreciate the inherent value and many amenities that 64 Pleasant offers, we commend Berkeley’s creative commitment to uniting forward-thinking companies under the 64 Pleasant roof.”

About Berkeley

Berkeley is a Boston-based, certified MBE real estate investment and development company with a focus on urban residential, commercial and mixed-use properties. Founded in 1991, Berkeley has established a successful track record of investment management and value creation through a diverse portfolio that includes award-winning residential, commercial, arts, clean tech and life sciences projects throughout greater Boston. A vertically integrated firm with proven in-house property, asset, construction, and development management capabilities, the company’s main focus is on transit-oriented, mixed-use properties with an emphasis on innovative design. Key developments include the historic conversion of 64 Pleasant Street in Watertown into innovative lab, life science, and clean tech space and the Waltham Watch Factory into commercial and residential space, as well as the adaptive reuse and reimagining of former industrial properties in communities including Somerville, Billerica, Malden and Charlestown. Berkeley also managed the pioneering redevelopment of more than a dozen historic brick-and-beam buildings including FP3 and 381 Congress Street Lofts in Boston’s Fort Point neighborhood, and is currently advancing the redevelopment of 176 Lincoln Street in Boston’s Allston neighborhood as a mixed-use innovation village including lab and residential space situated around dynamic public and open spaces. Berkeley’s portfolio presently includes 1.5 million square feet of operating laboratory and life sciences properties and active developments in and around Boston. For more information, visit www.berkeleyinvestments.com.

About Culture Pop Soda

Culture Pop, a leading brand in the functional soda category, is a refreshing soda made with organic fruit juices and spices with a probiotic that promotes gut health. Founder Tom First started the company in 2020, and Culture Pop is now available in more than 10,000 retail stores across the country. In New England, Culture Pop is available at major retailers including Shaws, Stop & Shop, Whole Foods, Wegmans, and Walmart, in addition to the regional and independent retailers that have sold and supported the brand since its inception. Each of the brand’s eight flavors are based on familiar favorites, and are free from added sugar and artificial and high intensity sweeteners that are found in traditional sodas. More information is available at www.drinkculturepop.com.

“Berkeley Investments is proud to have 64 Pleasant and our tenant, Via Separations, serve as examples of how the alignment of public sector investment, entrepreneurial innovation, and cutting-edge workspaces can make Massachusetts, and particularly Watertown, the center of the cleantech industry,” said Young Park, president and founder of Berkeley Investments. “We designed 64 Pleasant with its Class A Lab and R&D space and high-quality amenities to be a place where innovators in climate tech and other advanced industries can do their best work.”

64 Pleasant is a 105,000-square-foot former mill building situated along the Charles River redeveloped by Berkeley Investments into a sophisticated lab and R&D center. It features Class A lab space and amenities with easy access to public transit and the Mass Pike.

Via Separations, a clean tech startup that developed a unique filtration system to reduce carbon emissions, signed a lease for 50,000 square feet of space in March of 2023, keeping it close to MIT, where it was founded. Via Separations recently began servicing International Paper in a major deal that will significantly reduce carbon emissions in processing paper. Being able to provide the right space in Watertown at 64 Pleasant for Via Separations and future companies to flourish is contributing to the city’s ability to become a clean-tech center in Massachusetts.

There are 54,000 square feet of Class A lab and R&D space at 64 Pleasant available for leasing.

Governor Maura Healey with Berkeley Investments President Young Park and the Berkeley team members at 64 Pleasant

Boston, Mass – Berkeley Investments today announced that Via Separations has signed a lease for 50,699 square feet of Class A space in Berkeley’s 64 Pleasant building in Watertown, Massachusetts. The lease represents approximately half of the newly redeveloped building and further establishes Watertown as one of the most dynamic clusters of advanced R&D in the Northeast. Via Separations, a Watertown-based company that enables industrial decarbonization and process intensification through its unique and advanced filtration technology, is leasing the space as it grows its research and commercial capabilities to meet market demand.

“We are seeing a lot of enthusiasm in the marketplace for Via’s industrial decarbonization technology, so we are excited to have 64 Pleasant as the space where we can continue to scale our team while giving them a beautiful setting to call home,” said Shreya Dave, CEO of Via Separations. “We are especially thrilled to be able to remain in Watertown and contribute to the region’s ClimateTech and advanced manufacturing economy.”

Via Separations, one of the first companies to receive funding from The Engine, a venture capital fund built by MIT, recently announced a $38 million investment led by NGP ETP that included other equity partners in the sustainability space and the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center. Via has begun deploying its technology in the pulp and paper sector and will be bringing this world-changing technology to the broader industrial manufacturing space to contribute to a carbon-free future.

“Berkeley is excited to welcome Via Separations to 64 Pleasant. We designed 64 Pleasant with its Class A wet and test lab space and high-quality amenities to be a place where innovators like Via can do their best work for a better future,” said Young Park, president of Berkeley Investments. “We look forward to welcoming more science-based tenants to this unique space in the heart of Watertown where they can work, collaborate, and innovate against the scenic backdrop of the Charles River.”

64 Pleasant is a 105,000-square-foot mill building situated along the Charles River that Berkeley thoroughly renovated over the last year to accommodate innovative, growing technology and life sciences companies in the center of Watertown. Berkeley has completed the highly complex base buildout that converted the historic 160-year-old building into a sophisticated lab and R&D center. It features Class A lab space and amenities, including a spacious fitness wing, conference center, and grand amenity kitchen. The outdoor patio, expansive roof deck, and remaining available workspace provide sweeping views of the Charles River, making it one of the most attractive places to work in Greater Boston. The location offers easy access to public transit, the Mass Pike, and the Charles River Greenway Bike Path.

Via Separations was represented by David Thomann and Connor Barnes of Cushman & Wakefield. Newmark’s Dave Townsend, Juliette Reiter, Catie Tilton, and Dan Krysiak represented Berkeley.

About Berkeley
Berkeley is a Boston-based, certified MBE real estate investment and development company with 30 years of experience creating vibrant residential, commercial, arts, and life sciences spaces throughout the region. A vertically integrated firm with proven in-house property, asset, construction, and development management capabilities, Berkeley focuses on transit-oriented mixed-use properties and emphasizes innovative design. Berkeley has established a reputation for collaboration and commitment to supporting local neighborhoods and economies. Berkeley has established a track record of successful investment management and value creation through a diverse award-winning portfolio of properties that includes the historic conversion of the Waltham Watch Factory complex into commercial and residential space, the adaptive reuse of former industrial properties in communities including Somerville, Billerica, Watertown, Malden and Charlestown, and the trend-setting redevelopment of numerous historic brick-and-beam buildings in Boston’s innovative Fort Point Channel District. Berkeley’s portfolio includes 1.5 million square feet of operating laboratory properties and active developments.

About Via Separations
Via Separations eliminates energy use in industrial processes, enabling pathways for a more resource-efficient and sustainable future. Based in Watertown, MA and spun out of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Via’s unique and proprietary filtration technology has applications across industrial manufacturing. Via is backed by investors including The Engine, Safar Partners, Prime Impact Fund, NGP ETP, and MassCEC, as well as by federal and state support from the National Science Foundation and the Department of Energy. More information is available at www.viaseparations.com.

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While elements of the hospitality industry have infiltrated our office spaces, so too should such humanizing elements inform the next generation of laboratory design and development. Creating a unique, inviting and engaging environment for scientific discovery is the approach at 64 Pleasant St. in Watertown Square.

Berkeley Investments in 2021 purchased the 105,000-square-foot former headquarters of Sasaki, a renowned architecture firm that made the collection of older mill buildings its headquarters for more than 40 years. Berkeley, alongside SGA, one of the region’s preeminent life science design architects, is working to transform and adapt the 200-year-old buildings into state-of-the-art laboratories for midsize, fast-growing life science companies.

Berkeley, no stranger to adaptive reuse of mill buildings, has a history of working sensitively with brick-and-beam structures while introducing contemporary elements and rectifying long-deferred MEP, code and accessibility needs. Yet every project poses its own unique challenges and opportunities, and here the team saw the potential to focus the building’s next generation on science and technology.

Next Step in a Long Evolution

The existing historic mill building, formerly known as Chase Mills, has seen numerous industrial incarnations over its long history; a paper mill, garment manufacturer, paper bag factory, screw & machining products warehouse and, most recently, creative office space. Berkeley and SGA see the building’s future as the next step in its commercial evolution, one that is absolutely necessary in order to preserve these historically significant structures that have sat along the banks of the Charles River for centuries.

The team’s creative investment of time and capital are needed to ensure the buildings can be utilized for another 100 years. One of the most challenging requirements, as identified by SGA, is the need to provide the requisite floor-to-ceiling clear height suitable for new life science tenants.

To achieve these critical clearances, along with meeting the stringent floor loading and vibration requirements, the team is lowering the first floor by excavating more than 4 feet in select areas, introducing structural steel reinforcing and pouring a new structural concrete floor slab.

Additionally, the team creatively reinforced key structural elements to facilitate the installation of state-of-the-art mechanical infrastructure to support the building’s research program. In essence, the team is building a brand-new building within an old building.

Preservation Includes Old-Growth Beams

While challenging from a design and construction standpoint, the building’s constraints extend an opportunity to deliver a highly distinctive and authentic atmosphere to the scientists who will work here.

As it relates to performance and function, these spaces are comparable to a newly-built environment, yet offer a unique character that speaks to the building’s heritage. In addition to transforming the interior spaces, preserving and exposing the elements that make it such a unique and desirable place to work is a key strategy in celebrating the building’s character.

Old-growth timber beams are being stripped of paint and left in place wherever possible. Hundred-year-old tin fire doors are being repurposed in the building’s amenity zones. The existing brick walls will remain exposed in the open office spaces. These are the elements that can never be replicated in new construction and that will make this a one-of-a-kind environment for leading science companies.

Another driver allowing for such a large reinvestment is Watertown itself. The municipality and broader community championed the idea of preserving the site while also allowing for upgrades and alterations that encourage life science companies to relocate to Pleasant Street. Watertown’s forward thinking and willingness to work with developers and biotech companies has earned it a Gold rating status from MassBio, and more importantly resulted in the creation of one of the region’s strongest and most exciting life science clusters.

Lastly the notion of “speed-to-market,” a sentiment strongly ingrained in the development team, was critical to this process to respond to the immediate demand for space of this type, size and quality in the Watertown cluster. In the context of navigating a complicated and constrained property, the team is constantly innovating to meet these demands in an accelerated timeline. This innovation is focused on transforming this unique property into a place for scientific exploration, research and discovery. Berkeley and SGA believe that future breakthroughs will occur in an environment that is truly unique – providing infrastructure for cutting-edge research while also embracing the industrial heritage of Watertown’s past.

Morgan Pierson is director of development at Boston-based Berkeley Investments and John Sullivan is president of architecture of SGA.

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Berkeley plans to invest in the building’s historic structure to convert the space to life science and office uses. Sasaki began planning for a sale of the property in 2019 and is currently finalizing the details of its relocation to Boston, with a formal announcement forthcoming.

Sasaki has owned and occupied the historic mill building complex sited on the banks of the Charles River since the 1950s but will soon be moving to a new office space of Sasaki’s own design to meet the contemporary needs of a growing global practice. Sasaki sought a visionary steward for its longtime Watertown headquarters and selected Berkeley as a developer who would creatively and sensitively recast the unique property to the benefit of Watertown and the area’s growing life sciences sector.

“Historic buildings are home to a range of features that are attractive to life sciences companies, and we see great synergy between the needs of the market and the benefits this building provides,” said Young Park, president of Berkeley. “We look forward to collaborating with Watertown to bring exciting new innovation to the community and to continuing our partnership with Sasaki as we reinvest in this special space.”

“We have been a Watertown firm since our inception and have enjoyed the tremendous opportunities the Chase Mills site affords. As a growing firm of 300 people needing to collaborate in new ways to meet the needs of clients locally, nationally, and globally, we have outgrown the space, and the time has come for us to relocate,” said James Miner, Sasaki CEO. “Throughout this process, it was critical to us that this special space be cultivated creatively and thoughtfully. Berkeley’s experience converting historic mill buildings in the area combined with their inspired vision for 64 Pleasant Street and invitation to keep us involved in the future design process made it clear they were the right choice.”

Berkeley plans to preserve and modernize the 97,000 square foot building while maintaining the current square footage. The updates will include better airflow and energy efficiency, improved ADA accessibility, and new interior architectural elements such as higher ceilings and exposed beams. Sasaki will be part of a design team led by SGA to update the space and surrounding site.

The project will support growth in downtown Watertown by attracting small and midsize, fast-growing life science companies looking for a smaller lab footprint in the heart of a bustling community. The project is expected to create a new diversity of job options within walking distance to Watertown Square.

The Chase Mills building has served a variety of workforce uses in its 150+ years, including as a paper factory, garment manufacturer, screws and machining project, and laundry. Sasaki’s and now Berkeley’s adaptive reuses represent an evolution of industry in the space.

This acquisition adds to Berkeley’s growing portfolio of life science investments within the greater Boston area including their multi-story redevelopment in Malden Center as well as the nearby ground up mixed-use development on Lincoln Street in Allston.

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Prominent design and architecture firm Sasaki, planning a move to downtown Boston, has sold its longtime home in Watertown to a developer that will turn it into office space for life science companies.

Berkeley Investments will renovate the 97,000-square-foot building, part of an old mill complex along the Charles River near Watertown Square, adding to a wave of life science development in Watertown.

“Historic buildings are home to a range of features that are attractive to life sciences companies, and we see great synergy between the needs of the market and the benefits this building provides,” said Berkeley president Young Park.

Terms of the sale were not disclosed, but a deed filed Thursday in Middlesex County showed a purchase price of $23 million.

Sasaki, a global design firm has designed a number of major Boston-area projects and is currently leading a redesign of Copley Square. It has been headquartered in the Watertown building since the 1970s. The 300-person firm, which also has offices in Denver and Shanghai, plans to move into Boston but wouldn’t yet say exactly where; a lease deal on its new home is still being finalized.

“Chase Mills and the city of Watertown have served us well during our time there,” said Sasaki CEO James Miner. “But as a firm with a growing national and global presence, we are excited for what the future holds for us in Boston, both for our incredible staff and the clients we serve.”

Sasaki is designing that new space. The firm also will have a hand in redesigning its old home, joining architecture firm SGA on Berkeley’s design team for the project. Berkeley plans to keep the same general size of the building, at 64 Pleasant St., but upgrade its airflow, energy systems, and interior architecture.

Park said he hopes to attract smaller drug companies that want to be in a walkable neighborhood such as Watertown Square. Just east of there, along Arsenal Street, a number of life science developments are underway, hoping to lure drug companies that are spilling out of Kendall Square but still want proximity to Cambridge and the workforces in nearby communities.

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