Industry Real Estate Website www.bulfinch.com Type of business Private | Founder Samuel W. Poorvu Founded 1936 | |
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Key people Eric Schlager, CEO, Robert A. Schlager, President, and S. Lawrence Schlager, Chairman Products Property Management, Property developer Headquarters Needham, Massachusetts, United States | ||
The bulfinch companies real estate investors since 1936
The Bulfinch Companies, Inc. is a national real estate firm headquartered in Needham, Massachusetts.
Contents
- The bulfinch companies real estate investors since 1936
- History
- Awards
- Lifetime Center
- The Harvard Square Post Office
- The Polaroid Building
- Cambridge Discovery Park
- References
History
Bulfinch was founded in 1936 by Samuel W. Poorvu, a Lithuanian immigrant who began his career as a bricklayer and soon started a small company in Boston building and developing Post Offices. Poorvu was dubbed "The Post Office King of America" by the Wall Street Journal for his role in developing over 100 postal facilities nationwide for the United States Postal Service. Bulfinch is owned and has been continuously operated by the Schlager family. Since inception, Bulfinch has "developed, acquired, and re-positioned in excess of $1.5 billion in commercial real estate assets." Bulfinch owns over 3.5 million square feet of property, primarily centered in New England. Bulfinch is currently in its third generation of management.
Awards
Bulfinch was awarded the "Distinguished Real Estate Award" by the National Association of Industrial & Office Properties in 2007. They have also been awarded commendations by the Mayor of Cambridge, Massachusetts. The City of Cambridge, Massachusetts awarded Bulfinch the Certificate of Preservation Merit. They received LEED Gold Certifications by the USGBC. Several Bulfinch properties have earned the United States Environmental Protection Agency's Energy Star certification. Banker & Tradesman has identified several Bulfinch sites as "Hot Properties". The American Council of Engineering awarded Bulfinch a silver award for Cambridge Discovery Park in 2008. Bulfinch received recognition at the 2011 GoGreen Awards for "their work in reducing storm water runoff and improving water quality".
Lifetime Center
Bulfinch acquired the Atrium Mall in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts from Simon Property Group in July 2012. The mall was approximately 300,000 square feet. According to a press release issued by Bulfinch, the company plans to re-position the asset as a mixed-use medical office property, partially demolishing it, and then rebuilding and renovating it. It is going to be renamed the Lifetime Center and reopening in 2017.
The Harvard Square Post Office
Samuel Poorvu originally developed the Harvard Square United States Post Office located in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1954. This facility was redeveloped in 2000 by Bulfinch.
The Polaroid Building
The building was the "first modern industrial structure in Cambridge, Massachusetts" and was designed by Shepley Bulfinch in 1938 for B and B Chemical Company. The building was acquired by Polaroid Corporation and was used as their corporate headquarters for some time. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1982. Bulfinch acquired the property in 2000.
Cambridge Discovery Park
Cambridge Discovery Park is located on the site of the former Arthur D. Little Company headquarters in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It is an 820,000 SF master-planned development with multiple LEED certified buildings. It is home to Forrester Research world headquarters and the Harvard-Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory. Siemens AG also leases space in the property.