In 1989, the Gilmore/Vines Building at 801 Albany Street was opened after two years of extensive renovation. This 50,000 square feet building was purchased from the Baltimore Brush Company and developed by the CDC of Boston. The Gilmore/Vines Building, where the CDC of Boston's office is located, is now a biotechnology center anchored by Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM), American Biogenetic Sciences Inc. and Boston University Dental Laboratories.
In 1987, Morgan Memorial Goodwill Industries opened its 104,000 square feet headquarters in the Crosstown Industrial Park. This multi-use facility, consisting of office, industrial, and retail space, was co-developed by the CDC of Boston and the Economic Development and Industrial Corporation (EDIC). The facility now provides training and work programs for individuals with disabilities, programs that promote self-reliance for youth, and a recycled goods program.
When it originally opened, DEC employed 300 people. Nearly 70 percent came from within a seven mile radius of the plant and over 50 percent of DEC employees were minorities. The CDC of Boston's goal of encouraging hiring from within the community was accomplished.
The anchor tenant in the development of Crosstown Industrial Park was the Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC). CDC of Boston and EDIC were co-developers of the 62,000 square feet assembly plant which opened in 1980. The general contractor for the DEC project was the John B. Cruz Construction Company and the architect was the design firm of Stull and Lee.
What was previously a vacant building has now been remodeled and is part of a bustling office park. Through the Cambridge Enterprise Collaborative, the CDC of Boston became the developer of the Cambridge Business Center. In 1987, the Collaborative purchased the Hyde Athletic Shoe Building with a million dollar federal grant from the Department of Human Services. Since then, the 120,000 square feet building located at 432 Columbia Street has been renovated into office and incubator space.
