Devens is a 4,400-acre mixed-use community. After serving as the U.S. Army's New England headquarters for 79 years, Fort Devens was closed in 1996. MassDevelopment purchased the property and, with financial support from the Commonwealth, is redeveloping Devens into a sustainable and diverse mixed-use community.

“MassDevelopment has created an incredible asset for the state of Massachusetts and the businesses, employees and residents of Devens,” says John Karnath, public institutions manager at JLL. “The utility infrastructure and amenities are unmatched throughout New England in quantity, quality and diversity.” He adds that the utility costs in Devens are among among the lowest in Massachusetts. “Whether a company is building its first laboratory, research and development facility, or office, or expanding its global brand, Devens is a great location to consider,” Karnath notes.

More than 100 businesses and organizations are located in Devens that also offers nearly 2,100 acres of open space and recreational land. Among some of the more notable companies that have operations in Devens include Bristol-Myers Squibb, Nypro, and Quiet Logistics.

In June, Devens got a boost in terms of residential and health care development. During a Super Town Meeting Ayer, Harvard, and Shirley approved three of four warrant articles for zoning changes in Devens. The measures the towns supported will allow for up to 120 units of senior housing and health care uses in the Shirley Village Growth District, along with protecting open space at Rogers Field and the Willow Brook corridor through a zoning swap. Though Ayer and Shirley voted in support on the fourth article, Harvard's vote against defeated the measure to rezone the southern end of the Grant Road district for commercial use.

Bristol-Myers Squibb completed an expansion of its Devens biologics facility in May. The $280-million project added two new buildings to its 89-acre Devens campus: a Biologics Development building for designing processes for the early production of investigational medicines, and a Clinical Manufacturing building where investigational medicines will be produced to support clinical trials.

The two new buildings added approximately 200,000 square feet to a site now comprised of eight major buildings in a 600,000-square-foot complex. When combined with the company's initial $750-million investment to build the facility, the expansion project brought the company's total investment at the site to more than $1 billion.

DEVENS, MA—MassDevelopment has retained JLL's Public Institutions team to market 14 development parcels here, including an 80-acre parcel that could reap 1.2-million square feet of new lab space.

The former Fort Devens is owned by MassDevelopment, the state's finance and development authority, which hired JLL to market the parcels. The available properties range in size from two acres that could accommodate a 10,000-square-foot laboratory to 80 acres that could one day host a 1.2-million-square-foot research and development campus.

JLL states the parcels are suited for bio-pharmaceutical, biotechnology, laboratory, and research and development, and could involve both back office or corporate headquarters operations.

“We're pleased to work with JLL to market these parcels in Devens,” says MassDevelopment president and CEO Marty Jones. “With nearly 5,000 employees and a contribution of $2.5 billion to the Massachusetts economy, the Devens business community serves as a major driver for the region and the Commonwealth.”

Devens is a 4,400-acre mixed-use community. After serving as the U.S. Army's New England headquarters for 79 years, Fort Devens was closed in 1996. MassDevelopment purchased the property and, with financial support from the Commonwealth, is redeveloping Devens into a sustainable and diverse mixed-use community.

“MassDevelopment has created an incredible asset for the state of Massachusetts and the businesses, employees and residents of Devens,” says John Karnath, public institutions manager at JLL. “The utility infrastructure and amenities are unmatched throughout New England in quantity, quality and diversity.” He adds that the utility costs in Devens are among among the lowest in Massachusetts. “Whether a company is building its first laboratory, research and development facility, or office, or expanding its global brand, Devens is a great location to consider,” Karnath notes.

More than 100 businesses and organizations are located in Devens that also offers nearly 2,100 acres of open space and recreational land. Among some of the more notable companies that have operations in Devens include Bristol-Myers Squibb, Nypro, and Quiet Logistics.

In June, Devens got a boost in terms of residential and health care development. During a Super Town Meeting Ayer, Harvard, and Shirley approved three of four warrant articles for zoning changes in Devens. The measures the towns supported will allow for up to 120 units of senior housing and health care uses in the Shirley Village Growth District, along with protecting open space at Rogers Field and the Willow Brook corridor through a zoning swap. Though Ayer and Shirley voted in support on the fourth article, Harvard's vote against defeated the measure to rezone the southern end of the Grant Road district for commercial use.

Bristol-Myers Squibb completed an expansion of its Devens biologics facility in May. The $280-million project added two new buildings to its 89-acre Devens campus: a Biologics Development building for designing processes for the early production of investigational medicines, and a Clinical Manufacturing building where investigational medicines will be produced to support clinical trials.

The two new buildings added approximately 200,000 square feet to a site now comprised of eight major buildings in a 600,000-square-foot complex. When combined with the company's initial $750-million investment to build the facility, the expansion project brought the company's total investment at the site to more than $1 billion.