Newsworthy
Bakery will add more than 100 jobs after move to North Andover
August 26, 2010
By Brian Messenger bmessenger@eagletribune.com
NORTH ANDOVER - A wholesale artisan bread bakery has signed a long-term lease at Osgood Landing with plans to add more than 100 jobs.
Jessica’s Brick Oven, Inc. will move from its 11,000-square-foot facility in Woburn to a 63,000-square-foot space at Osgood Landing, the former Lucent site.
Specializing in all-natural, hand-crafted specialty breads, Jessica’s Brick Oven Inc. now employs about 75 people but will expand to more than 200 employees in the next year or so, after it relocates this fall, according to owner and Middleton resident Nabil Boghos.
“I’m looking forward to tap into the work force there,” said Boghos. “If I can be a small part of helping the economy, it all adds up. Small business is the backbone of America.”
Boghos said construction is ongoing at the company’s future home. A move-in date is scheduled for late September or early October. A lease agreement with Ozzy Properties, Inc. was announced earlier this month. Boghos said the lease is for more than 10 years but declined to reveal financial terms.
“We’re happy to be there and fill the entire lease,” said Boghos. “I think it will be a good partnership for both of us.”
Boghos said he was attracted to Osgood Landing for its highway access. He said the Merrimack Valley is also home to many of his customers, which include specialty shops and supermarkets, including Stop & Shop, DeMoulas and Market Basket.
Boghos said Jessica’s Brick Oven was founded in 1997.
Boghos said he and his wife, Rose, purchased the company in June 2006 and changed the focus of its customer base from commercial to retail businesses.
“We’re taking our company in a complete different direction from where it was before we bought it,” said Boghos. “It gives us the market exposure we’re looking for.”
After the move, all Jessica’s Brick Oven bread will be made in North Andover. Boghos said all of the company’s products are all-natural.
Boghos said the new space at Osgood Landing is large enough for continued growth. “That’s our game plan,” said Boghos. “Keep it going. Our space will allow us to do it.”
Social Security Hearing Office to Open at Heritage Place
EagleTribune.com, North Andover, MA
August 20, 2010
In a Minute
LAWRENCE - Michael J. Astrue, commissioner of Social Security, and U.S. Rep. Niki Tsongas yesterday announced that the Social Security Administration plans to open a new hearing office at Heritage Place, 439 S. Union St.
The office is expected to open in the spring of next year and will shorten wait times and help alleviate a nationwide backlog of disability cases awaiting a hearing.
“The opening of the Lawrence hearing office will improve the service we provide to New England residents with disabilities,” Astrue said.
“Since becoming commissioner, I have made reducing the backlog of disability cases my top priority.”
Plans call for the Lawrence hearing office to be staffed by seven full-time administrative law judges plus 40 additional support staff.
Something is cooking at North Andover’s Osgood Landing
GateHouse News Service Posted Aug 12, 2010 @ 04:09 PM North Andover
Jessica’s Brick Oven, Inc., a longtime wholesale bakery serving customers throughout New England, has signed a multi-year lease at Ozzy’s Osgood Landing facility in North Andover.
Ozzy Properties, Inc. made the announcement recently.
Jessica’s Brick Oven, which currently is located in an 11,000-square-foot facility in Woburn, will occupy 63,000-square feet of space to accommodate its expanding bakery operation.
Nabil Boghos, owner of Jessica’s Brick Oven, said he expects to move into Osgood Landing by late August or early September. Terms of the lease were not disclosed.
Boghos said he was drawn to Osgood Landing in part for its prime location.
”The most appealing thing to us was the excellent location of the building,” he noted. “A lot of my distributors are located in the Merrimack Valley so it was critical for us to choose a location that met that criteria. Osgood Landing more than fit that need.”
Jessica’s, which offers nearly a dozen categories of hand-crafted artisan breads such as Tuscan breads, focaccia breads and other specialty breads, will make the breads at the Osgood Landing premises, according to Ozzy Properties, Inc. Jessica’s currently distributes its breads throughout New England in specialty shops and supermarkets including Stop & Shop and DeMoulas/Market Basket.
Boghos also noted that the new facility will allow him to increase Jessica’s workforce from its current 75 employees to nearly 200 within the next year. Jessica’s plans to hire a range of positions, including IT workers, accountants, sales support, bakers and custodians. Boghos attributes the success of his business on consumer demand for more healthy foods.
”People are more health conscious about what they’re eating,” said Boghos, who bought the 13-year-old company two years ago with his wife, Rose. “Consumers are looking for healthier food products and all of our breads are all-natural products with no chemicals and no yeast.”
Ozzy officials said they are pleased to have Jessica’s Brick Oven as a new tenant.
”We’re thrilled to welcome Jessica’s Brick Oven to Osgood Landing,” said Orit Goldstein, president of Ozzy Properties. “This is a top-flight organization that has made tremendous strides in recent years. And we know that Osgood Landing has the necessary infrastructure and amenities that will allow Jessica’s Brick Oven to grow for years to come.”
Boghos agrees. “Orit Goldstein and the entire Ozzy Properties team have been tremendous to work with,” said Boghos. “The terms were favorable to what I was looking for and I really like the fact that we have room to expand.”
Osgood Landing was formerly occupied by Lucent Technologies. Ozzy Properties acquired the facility in 2003 and continues to redevelop the property for multi-tenant use.
Ozzy Properties, Inc., formed in 1994 in Andover, has 2.5 million square feet of office space and 100 residential units under management in the Massachusetts communities of Andover, North Andover, Lawrence, Boston and Methuen.
Bakery Relocates To North Andover, Expands Space
08/04/10 Jessica’s Brick Oven Inc., a wholesale bakery, has signed a multi-year lease at Ozzy’s Osgood Landing facility in North Andover.
The bakery, currently located in an 11,000-square-foot facility in Woburn, will occupy 63,000-square feet of space to accommodate its expanding bakery operation, according to a statement.
Nabil Boghos, owner of Jessica’s Brick Oven, said he expects to move into Osgood Landing by late August or early September. Terms of the lease were not disclosed.
“The most appealing thing to us was the excellent location of the building,” Boghos said. “A lot of my distributors are located in the Merrimack Valley so it was critical for us to choose a location that met that criteria. Osgood Landing more than fit that need.”
Boghos also noted that the new facility will allow him to increase Jessica’s workforce from its current 75 employees to nearly 200 within the next year. Jessica’s plans to hire a range of positions, including IT workers, accountants, sales support, bakers and custodians.
“People are more health conscious about what they’re eating,” said Boghos, who bought the 13-year-old company two years ago with his wife, Rose. “Consumers are looking for healthier food products and all of our breads are all-natural products with no chemicals and no yeast.”
“We’re thrilled to welcome Jessica’s Brick Oven to Osgood Landing,” said Orit Goldstein, president of Ozzy Properties. “This is a top-flight organization that has made tremendous strides in recent years. And we know that Osgood Landing has the necessary infrastructure and amenities that will allow Jessica’s Brick Oven to grow for years to come.”
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Green is gold at Osgood Landing in North Andover
By Sally Applegate/ CORRESPONDENT
North Andover Citizen
North Andover - Osgood Landing is getting a name - and a color - for itself: green.
The huge facility has been revamped to employ the latest green technologies and is also home to several green businesses. Osgood Landing hosted a Green Energy Summit sponsored by the Merrimack Valley Chamber of Commerce on May 5.
On Aug. 13 from 8:30 a.m. to noon, Osgood Landing will host a seminar led by Congressman John Tierney, on “Growing Green Jobs: Funding and Resources to Green Our Economy.”
The seminar is aimed at helping local businesses connect with grant-making agencies and business-development organizations, to learn about green job funding, training, and resources in the Merrimack Valley area (see related see Page 9).
North Andover Community Development Director Curt Bellavance says Osgood Landing is becoming a leading center for green technology organizations.
Ellen J. Keller, vice president of Commercial Real Estate at Osgood Landing, says green industries are among the strongest of today’s industries.
“Without question, the green industries are the healthiest and most exciting ones out there,” Keller said this week.
When Ozzy Properties and Osgood Landing LLC took over the old Lucent Technology complex they initiated new greener technology at the site. The company is a proponent for clean energy and cutting energy costs.
“We have almost 40 percent of this building leased, with more than 45 companies already here,” says Keller. “We bought the property in 2003, and after Lucent left in 2004 we made an absolute decision to retrofit this property with green technology.”
Osgood Landing supports all forms of “Green-Tech” and is the only building in the area that can offer 550,000 square feet of manufacturing space on one floor, according to Keller. It can also house offices, manufacturers and distributors of all sizes. This landlord does not exclude non-green businesses, but has been focusing its marketing efforts on clean technologies. Here are three green companies already in place in the large North Andover facility.
• In 2009 Baystate Biofuels announced its opening at Osgood Landing as the first full-scale commercial facility dedicated to biodiesel distribution in Massachusetts. Baystate Biofuels owner Jesse Reich hopes to create up to 300 jobs within the next three to five years.
• Nexamp, founded by Dan Leary, provides comprehensive and cost-effective energy and carbon reduction solutions and services for businesses and homes. Nexamp was chosen to install 4.1 megawatts of solar energy at 12 public water and wastewater treatment facilities across Massachusetts as part of the federal stimulus grant.
• PanelClaw develops environmentally friendly mounting solutions for photovoltaic modules. The large solar array on the roof of the Osgood Landing facility employs PanelClaw components. The fastest growing tenant at Osgood Landing, PanelClaw has doubled the size of its warehouse and is in the process of doubling its office space. The building offers its tenants limitless expansion opportunities.
Keller says Ozzy Properties has acted to reduce energy consumption at Osgood Landing since taking over the property. The company specializes in bringing existing buildings back to life rather than building new ones.
The original Western Electric Company building, which became Lucent and is now Osgood Landing, was designed in the 1950s before the age of energy conservation.
The oversized and inefficient oil boilers have been replaced with efficient gas boilers, reducing carbon emissions, fuel consumption, and operating expenses.
The building’s heat and air conditioning system has been revamped with new software upgrades, and now draws in natural air when the outside temperature is between 32 and 60 degrees, allowing free cooling and major energy savings.
The oversized power grid needed by Western Electric is no longer necessary, and Osgood Landing has been consolidating and refiguring transformers throughout the facility. These combined efforts have reduced energy consumption by over 50 percent so far.
A 175- kilowatt solar array was installed on the roof in 2008 by Nexamp and is providing a large amount of power to the building.
In a new agreement with Wheelabrator of North Andover, Osgood Landing will use low-grade waste heat from Wheelabrator’s electricity generating process. This will be the first system of its type in New England.
Copyright 2010 North Andover Citizen. Some rights reserved
Ophir Optics, Inc. increases footprint, personnel at Osgood Landing in North Andover
Two years after signing lease with Ozzy Properties, maker of infrared optical elements enjoys growth at Osgood Landing site
North Andover, Mass., Dec. 22, 2009 – Ophir Optics, Inc., makers of infrared optical products for military uses and other applications, today announced it is expanding its facility at Osgood Landing in North Andover by nearly 20 percent and has increased its workforce by more than 50 percent since moving here two years ago.
“This is certainly very positive news for us,” said Dennis Cope, president of Ophir Optics. “We’ve been fortunate to be in some good markets, which allows us to provide solid products for our customers while growing our workforce.”
Cope said the expansion is being driven largely by defense-related work orders. Ophir manufactures lenses and optical components for use in infrared optical systems, including night vision equipment used in military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Cope said Osgood Landing has the necessary infrastructure that allows the company to create critical products. “Osgood Landing has proven to be an ideal site for us because of its significant electrical capacity required to manufacture various infrared optical products,” said Cope.
In December 2007, Ophir Optics signed a multi-year lease with Ozzy Properties to occupy a 32,000-square-foot space on the grounds of Osgood Landing. At that time, the company had 72 workers. The expansion will allow Ophir to grow by about 20 percent by end of February. The company also now employs 111 workers, a 54 percent increase.
“In this economy, we always like to know that there’s some light at the end of the tunnel,” said Curt Bellavance, community development director for the town of North Andover. “It’s also reassuring to know we have owners here at Osgood Landing who continue to fill up space with new and existing tenants.”
Ophir Optics’ arrival marked the first tenant to occupy space in Bell Labs’ research and development facility at the 1600 Osgood St. site in North Andover. Cope anticipates occupying the entire first floor of that facility by end of February.
Although the majority of Ophir’s current customers are defense-related, there are a growing number of non-military uses such as homeland security, automotive night vision and industrial applications.
Ozzy Properties President Orit Goldstein said Ophir’s growth signals hope for other companies seeking to expand in the rebounding economy. “At a time when businesses continue to struggle, Ophir’s expansion is a hopeful sign for the Osgood Landing facility but also for the larger business climate throughout the Merrimack Valley,” said Goldstein.
In addition to Ophir’s expansion, other companies at Osgood Landing have seen modest expansions recently. The main logistics center for Nexamp, Inc., a full service clean energy solutions company; and Panel Claw, Inc., which develops photovoltaic mounting solutions, have grown at the Osgood site.
“We’re seeing more activity at Osgood Landing as well as more market activity in general,” said Goldstein. “Those are clearly positive economic signs.”
Osgood Landing, an office and manufacturing complex made up of nearly 2 million square feet, was formerly occupied by Lucent Technologies. Ozzy Properties acquired the half-century-old building in 2003 and continues to reconfigure it for multi-tenant use.
About Ophir Optics, Inc.
Ophir Optics, Inc., founded in 2003, manufactures a wide variety of infrared optical elements and optical lens assemblies for extensive military use as well as for non-military use such as homeland security, automotive night vision and industrial applications. For more information, contact Ophir Optics at 1-800-820-0814 or visit www.ophiropticsinc.com.
The Mentor Network Coming to Osgood Landing
Human services agency will bring about 100 new and existing jobs to North Andover; expected to give economic boost to town.
North Andover, Mass., Sept. 4, 2009 - Ozzy Properties, a premier property manager located in North Andover, announced that The Mentor Network, a longtime national human services agency with roots in Massachusetts, has signed a lease at the facility, which will bring nearly 100 new and existing employees to the town.
The Mentor Network, which has offices throughout the nation, is a human services organization that provides an array of innovative services to adults and children with developmental disabilities and other needs. Mentor workers at Osgood Landing will be from the human resources and finance departments. Programs will not exist at the Osgood site.
Ozzy and town officials heralded The Mentor Network’s arrival, saying it gives the town a needed boost as the economy gains momentum.
“This is great news especially in these trying economic times,” said Curt Bellavance, community development director for North Andover. “To hear that approximately 100 employees will be coming to town is very exciting.”
Bellavance added that The Mentor Network will become one of the top 15 employers of the town. Most of the employees are existing workers, but town leaders say their presence means they may frequent shops and the approximately 10 restaurants within a mile of Osgood Landing.
Ellen Keller, vice president of commercial real estate for Ozzy Properties, said The Mentor Network will occupy 13,500 square feet of space in an area formerly occupied by Lucent Technologies’ engineering and administrative departments. Construction is expected to start soon and the goal is to have workers at the site in November.
“The Mentor Network is relocating to an area in which they can expand if needed,” said Keller. “There is nearly limitless expansion potential.”
Ozzy Properties President Orit Goldstein is thrilled with The Mentor Network’s decision to move to Osgood Landing. “The Mentor Network is a wonderful organization that has done so many positive things for individuals and families for nearly 30 years,” said Goldstein. “We are very pleased that they see Osgood Landing as a place that meets their current and future needs.”
The lease signing follows other significant announcements by Ozzy Properties this year. Earlier this year, Ozzy renewed leases with two workforce-related agencies and signed a fresh lease with another organization. Additionally, renewable energy company BayState Biofuels signed a lease with Ozzy and has built a biodiesel terminal at Osgood Landing scheduled to open this September.
Osgood Landing, an office and manufacturing complex made up of nearly 2 million square feet, was formerly occupied by Lucent Technologies. Ozzy Properties acquired the half-century-old building in 2003 and is in the process of reconfiguring it for multi-tenant use.
About Ozzy Properties, Inc.
Ozzy Properties, Inc., formed in 1994 in Andover, Mass., is a premier property manager in the Merrimack Valley region of Massachusetts. Ozzy currently has 2.5 million square feet of office and retail space and 100 residential units under management in the Massachusetts communities of Andover, North Andover, Lawrence, Boston and Methuen. Ozzy’s strength lies in its ability to significantly improve underutilized, distressed or foreclosed properties, and then return them to the rental market at aggressive rates.
Baystate Biofuels in the News
Please click below for an NECN profile on Baystate Biofuels and the excitement they are bringing to the Merrimack Valley.
http://www.necn.com/Boston/Business/2009/06/30/Biofuel-infused-into-Mass/1246400494.html
The leases of Ozz: Ozzy Properties filling former Lucent site little by little
By M. Renee Buckley, North Andover Citizen
February 25, 2009
With the final Lucent employees packed up and moved out as of their lease expiration Jan. 31, North Andover’s Osgood Landing has a lot of space to fill — at least 70 percent of 1,367,840 square feet of rentable space — but owner Ozzy Properties is taking it one lease at a time.
“We have a lot of space, but we’re also getting ready to open a new portion of the office building. We filled the ground floor and now we’re working on the second floor of the office building,” said Ellen J. Keller, vice president of commercial real estate for North-Andover-based Ozzy Properties.
Asked how long the second-floor construction will take, Keller said the work is done on an as-needed basis.
“It’s ready as it needs to be ready. When we sign the new leases we start that construction. We’re negotiating with a couple leases right now and we’re hoping that they’ll sign and we’ll start that,” she said.
Since Ozzy Properties began marketing the former Lucent company’s space at Osgood Landing in late 2004/early 2005, Keller said they’ve leased approximately 100,000 square feet of space each year. To date, the company has about 400,000 feet under lease agreements, which range in size from the smallest at 900 square feet to the largest at almost 60,000 square feet.
Most recently the group has signed leases with two new tenants — Firepro Inc., who just signed a seven-year lease, and Luci’s Café, which has taken the place of the cafeteria at the southeast side of the building, Keller said.
For the first time, the cafeteria area — now Luci’s Café — is open to the public.
“In years past the [town’s] zoning didn’t permit the cafeteria to reach out to the public. It was exclusive to employees of Lucent. Now the zoning has changed thanks to the town of North Andover,” said Keller, who added Luci’s is making a concerted effort to appeal to the public.
While the past food vendor catered to an enormous number of Lucent employees, Luci’s Café is a smaller enterprise, and as a result is operating in a completely renovated space.
“It was time for a change. It needed an upgrade, so to speak,” Keller said. “It wasn’t particularly efficient. It was used for serving hundreds of Lucent employees. Now it’s all brand new. It reopened just this past January.”
Those interested in checking out the café can access it from the southeast side of the building, on the left side of the building when looking at it from Route 125. Access is via the entrance at the traffic light across from the Shell gas station, and Keller said parking is right in front of the building in the visitors’ parking lot. Signs will direct visitors to Luci’s, she said.
Luci’s is located in the office building portion of the site, which is actually composed of three different buildings, though many think it’s all one big structure, Keller said.
“There’s the office building, the manufacturing building and the warehouse. What you see from the street is all office space,” she said.
Asked if Osgood Landing is feeling the commercial real estate slump, Keller said the space isn’t immune to the problem, and there isn’t as much activity as they’d like to see.
“Will we do well this year? My crystal ball is as fuzzy as everyone else’s. We’re certainly trying to be as aggressive as possible and bring in those companies,” she said.
Have they had to drop prices?
“I think you have to. But I think I should also state that we have always been below market. Our office and market rates are below market and have been since the beginning,” Keller said.
Osgood Landing boasts largest private solar array in state
By Bill Kirk, Eagle-Tribune
July 29, 2008
One of the largest buildings in the Merrimack Valley now boasts the largest privately owned solar panel array in the state.
The roof of the old Lucent Technologies plant now holds more than 1,000 photovoltaic panels capable of producing enough electricity to power 200 homes on a sunny day.
Dan Leary, president of Nexamp, the North Andover company that installed the panels, credits Orit and Jeff Goldstein, owners of Osgood Landing, for their strong support of and investment in solar power.
“Ozzy Properties has the vision to understand that alternative energy sources are critical to the future success of businesses regionally and nationally,” said Leary, whose two-year-old company has become a regional leader in alternative energy solutions.
Ozzy Properties President Orit Goldstein said the installation is beneficial for environmental and financial reasons.
“We are proud to be on the forefront of a growing business-environmental movement and are confident that our efforts will spur other companies to take similar actions,” Goldstein said. “The notion that we can do something that is environmentally sound while also achieving a financial benefit is particularly appealing.”
Neither Nexamp, nor Ozzy Properties, intended to have the largest, privately owned solar array in the state.
It happened in stages.
In 2007, Nexamp, then a fledgling company with five employees, was hired by Ozzy Properties to install a set of panels on the roof that would be capable of creating 103 kilowatts of power. The Goldsteins liked it so much, Leary said, that they recently had his company install another array capable of creating 67 kilowatts of power.
“Once they saw how great (the first phase) worked, they wanted to do a second system,” Leary said.
Ellen Keller, vice president of commercial real estate for Ozzy Properties, said, “We didn’t plan to be the biggest. We got an e-mail from Dan telling us we were the biggest.”
Leary said one of the reasons Ozzy Properties liked the project so much is that Nexamp is a “turnkey operation” that handles everything for their clients, from permitting and financing to installation and maintenance.
“People think it takes a lot to make it work and then they wonder if it’s worth it,” he said.
While the total project cost about $1 million, he said, Ozzy Properties took advantage of $750,000 in state and federal tax credits and got other state-financed incentives so that the payback period shrunk to just 41/2 years.
That is, Ozzy Properties will break even on its investment by 2011 or 2012, at which point it will start getting free electricity to offset huge energy costs for the 2-million-square-foot building.
Meanwhile, Keller said, the company is considering expanding the use of green energy to power the vast building, including adding wind turbines, additional solar panels and possibly even possibly installing so-called “green roofs” — using plant material as roof cover.
“We’ll consider anything,” she said, noting that the company’s goal is to save money while also being good stewards of the environment.
Inside the building, other measures are being taken to save energy, including turning off lights in some of the vast, unused spaces in the old Lucent manufacturing facilities, putting lights on timers and motion-detectors, and turning down the heat or using less air-conditioning.
The solar panels and conservation measures combined have “dropped our energy bills,” Keller said.
She said that even before Lucent started laying off people and moving out — the company is scheduled to be completely out of the building by January 2009 — they had realized significant energy savings.
While Ozzy Properties can boast the largest privately owned solar array, it is not the largest in the state.
The two largest are owned by municipalities, said Jon Abe, vice president of business development for Nexamp, including one in Brockton and another in Waltham.
The second-largest private solar array is owned by MassInnovations in Fitchburg. MassInnovations is a company owned by Bob Ansin, who is developing the old Wood Mill on Merrimack Street in Lawrence.
Town has highest producer of solar power
By Sarah Wolfe, North Andover Citizen
July 7, 2008
There’s currently enough solar power coming from the roof of the former Lucent Plant to power nearly 200 average-sized homes. In fact, the Osgood Landing facility, managed by Ozzy Properties, was recently recognized for having the most solar power of any privately-owned photovoltaic array in Massachusetts.
“We’re proud to be on the forefront of a growing business environmental movement,” said Orit Goldstein, president of Ozzy Properties. “It also helps us compete for tenants who have similar interests in the environment, which we’re finding is more the case nowadays. We’re confident our efforts will spur other companies to take similar actions.”
Local company Nexamp, Inc., formerly NexGen Energy Solutions, started installing the solar panels at 1600 Osgood St. last year.
“We finished it about two months ago in May,” said Dan Leary, Nexamp, Inc. president and chief operations officer. “The first array was 103 kilowatts and this last one was 67 kilowatts. It’s a total of 170 kilowatts.”
Leary said more than 95 percent of the components used for the solar arrays were manufactured in Massachusetts. The invertors are from Solectria Renewables of Lawrence, a company owned by residents James and Anita Worden. The invertors convert the direct current from the solar panels into an alternating current for the nearly 2 million square foot building’s use, offsetting the amount of power that would otherwise come from the utility company.
“Both installations were thanks to funds granted from the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative,” Goldstein said.
The arrays were below the cost projections, she said, and with federal solar tax credit and other tax incentives, Ozzy Properties expects to see a return investment in less than five years. The average life of the panels is 20 years.
Osgood Landing also replaced its oil boilers with high-efficiency natural gas boilers in April 2007, which reduce greenhouse gas emissions and save on heating costs. The new system is expected to cut CO2 emissions by 4,000 tons per year and particulate matter by 73 tons per year.
“I commend business leaders like Orit Goldstein for taking the initiative to do green power. At the end of the day it’s about supply and demand, and there needs to first be the demand,” Leary said. “Orit doesn’t just talk about it, she’s doing it. She’s the reason for putting North Andover on the map for green energy.”
A green bill
Ozzy Properties joins the growing number of business switching to green power. Nexamp itself will begin installing a solar array this month on the roof of its new East Mill location.
To encourage even more companies and homes to go green, Gov. Deval Patrick signed a new bill this week that will require energy companies across the state to consider cost-effective renewable sources of energy before relying on more traditional ones. Unanimously approved by the House and Senate, the bill also establishes a program that will let communities use state loans and grants to cover the cost of conservation and renewable energy projects.
“It give a real boost to the renewable energy industries,” Leary said. “It gives more incentive to encourage the use of renewable as an alternative to fossil fuels.”
Future Looks Bright for Solar Power in New England
By Pete Howe, NECN
July 3, 2008
NECN video: Click here to watch video
Many people see a very bright future for solar power here in New England. Like the owners of this huge North Andover Massachusetts building, a former Western Electric lucent plant.
Ozzy properties just activated the largest privately owned solar array in New England, nearly an acre of solar panels.
The million-dollar project produces 8 to 10 percent of the electricity used by tenants renting space in the building. With tax breaks and state aid, the solar will pay for itself in five years. After that, the electricity is virtually free. Solar power’s poised to explode in Massachusetts under a clean energy law governor Deval Patrick signed Thursday.
The 1997 deregulation law forced utilities like Nstar and national grid to sell off power plants. But the new law lets them own up to 50 megawatts of solar panels. Enough to power about 10,000 homes or small businesses a year.
We have Nstar green out, just started July 1st, where they can choose to have their energy come from a wind farm that has no carbon footprint. i think you’re going to see Nstar solar in the not too distant future.
Just how utilities get into solar energy is yet to be determined. It could be they pay for big arrays like this on top of businesses and schools, they build solar farms out in wide open spaces, or they pay for hundreds of homeowners and small businesses to put up 4 or 6 panels on their roof.
A typical home solar installation costs 15 to 20 thousand dollars. So having a deep-pocketed utility cover the up-front cost would make solar much more affordable for consumers.
In North Andover, Orit Goldstein has eight hundred thousand square feet of prime manufacturing space she’d love to fill up with solar equipment makers. And plenty more roof for solar panels.
Hollywood East: Massive vacant space in old Lucent building brings starpower to North Andover
By Crystal Bozek and Drake Lucas, Eagle-Tribune
June 1, 2008
Owners of the massive Osgood Landing may have once lamented the barren space that exists in the previously thriving manufacturing plant. But as it turns out, 600,000 square feet of vacant property is a find for Hollywood producers.
The former Lucent plant on Route 125 has landed on a short list of prime filming spots across the state.
The building’s executives didn’t seek out the status, but weren’t about to pass up a chance to make some money on space that has otherwise been unprofitable. They’ve now made it their mission to court state film officials.
“We met and told the Massachusetts Film Office we were definitely interested in more films,” said Ellen Keller, vice president of commercial real estate for Osgood Landing. “We certainly hope more come.”
The Massachusetts Film Office toured the site earlier this month in a meeting that was brokered by the state Office of Business Development with an eye toward future filmmaking. Prior to that, Osgood Landing had been transformed into a set for three films in just seven months: “The Box,” “This Side of the Truth” and “The Surrogates.”
The films brought big stars, such as Cameron Diaz, Tina Fey, Rob Lowe, James Marsden, Ricky Gervais and Bruce Willis. They also have drummed up business at local restaurants, thrift shops — even the airport.
A location scout first discovered the former Lucent building almost two years ago when looking for a place to shoot commercials for Comfort Suite Hotels and an Internet company.
“The scout said, ‘Ellen, you’ll see. Once people find out about you, more and more people will start coming,’” Keller said. “It’s been somewhat word of mouth. Many of these film people know each other.”
That same scout, Jeff MacLean, brought “The Box” and Cameron Diaz to Osgood Landing in November, transforming part of the building into NASA headquarters — and word spread.
“This side of the Truth” came in April and “The Surrogates” wrapped up a couple weeks ago.
From telecommunications to films
Osgood Landing once was New England’s manufacturing hub for Lucent Technologies, employing more than 12,000 workers. But the telecommunications company started to crash in the 1990s, and thousands of workers have been laid off from what was once the Merrimack Valley’s largest employer.
Now about 500 workers are in the building, and those jobs will be phased out in the next year.
Ozzy Properties bought the real estate in 2004. Despite its best marketing efforts, however, Ozzy only has been able to lease out 60 percent of the 1.5 million-square-foot behemoth.
The remaining 600,000 square feet — the equivalent of 101/2 football fields — is a film producer’s dream, according to Massachusetts Film Office Executive Director Nick Paleologos.
“I didn’t quite have a sense of it until I walked through and realized how vast it is,” Paleologos said of his recent tour. “It’s huge, and it’s in great shape. A lot of these warehouses they’re using haven’t been occupied for 10 years.”
He said the building’s size, composition and good condition allow for great flexibility in what producers can do with it.
The state film office keeps a list of a dozen or so locations — warehouses, hockey rinks, former department stores — to provide to producers and film studios interested in shooting in Massachusetts.
There’s no charge to get a property on the list, Paleologos said. It just needs to be large and film-friendly. Other cities and towns with properties on the list with North Andover are Woburn, Boston, Allston, Worcester and Chelsea.
Location manager Jeff MacLean advertises Osgood Landing on his New England Locations Web site. He said not only is the scale of the building unique, but the fact that it isn’t packed with workers means filming can take place during the week.
“What else is like it?” MacLean questioned. “The manufacturing floor is pretty incredible, and whole front entrance is impressive looking and useable. And it’s right by the highway.”
MacLean said the building is so large that an entire set can be put up with almost no effect on the other businesses in the building.
“It’s perfect for filming. The only way to make it better is to make it more empty than it is,” MacLean said, laughing. “But then they’d make no regular money there. It’s completely unrealistic.”
A set waiting to happen
Keller said Ozzy Properties has thought about building a permanent soundstage in the building, but has yet to make the leap.
“With all the big open floors, it practically is a stage,” Keller said. “You can create a lot of looks.”
While spacious, the property still is limited in the films it attracts because most of the space doesn’t meet height requirements for some sets.
But Keller said once a warehouse space with much higher ceilings opens up next year, bigger-budget films that need larger stages and sets will be welcome.
“Some of these productions need 30 feet of clear height. Imagine a giant airplane hangar,” Keller said. “We have that in the warehouse.”
Productions typically rent out space for a little more than a month at a time — two weeks to set up, a few days to shoot, and another two weeks to disassemble.
“They are very meticulous,” Keller said. “They create such realistic sets.”
Parts of Osgood Landing became a 1970’s-era NASA work site and a police station for “The Box.”
For the sci-fi flick “The Surrogates,” a floor was transformed into FBI headquarters. Crew members also hung a green screen in the loading area.
For the Ricky Gervais comedy “This Side of the Truth” the space was made into an office setting. Filmmakers even used the building’s front lobby for a scene.
Ozzy Properties still is learning how to accommodate film crews. Keller has two people assigned to a set during filming in case producers need anything.
Keller said the most interesting requests have been for old furniture and items found around the building or in its storage area.
“Stuff we think is junk, they love, such as old signs and furniture,” she said. “They run around asking, ‘Can we have that sign? Can we have that clock?’”
She said one large vintage clock in particular will play an important role in “The Surrogates,” ticking down the seconds.
“It’s a type of vintage office clock you find throughout this building,” Keller said. “When this was AT&T, or maybe even Western Electric, they had these big clocks in the middle of every floor. … It looks old-fashioned. The movie company liked it.”
Give and take
Paleologos said in the past, films were shot in Massachusetts because the script took place in Massachusetts. But that changed in January 2006.
That’s when the film tax incentive program came into play, through which the state will reimburse film companies through tax incentives for up to one-quarter of their local production costs.
The companies can use these to reduce corporate income taxes, sell them to other firms or sell them back to the state for 90 cents on the dollar.
Now films will come to Massachusetts even if they have nothing to do with the state. For instance, the second Pink Panther movie, which filmed in and around Boston last summer, actually takes place in Paris.
“I’m constantly telling folks to draw a circle around Boston and you can find anything you want,” Paleologos said. “If you want Seacoast, mill town, suburbia, we have it, almost any look. Now if the movie is calling for a New Mexico landscape, we’re not getting that one.”
Seven major movies currently are being filmed in the state.
Locally, “This Side of the Truth” takes place in Andover, Haverhill and Lowell. And not far away, Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds have been in Rockport filming the Disney romantic comedy “The Proposal.”
North Andover Town Manager Mark Rees said he welcomes the filming, but so far no money has come directly to the town. That could change if a studio wanted to film on town-owned land.
There is, however, indirect economic impact of the films being made in North Andover: — Lucent pays taxes, the crew and stars dine at local restaurants, and filmmakers rent equipment, need transportation and hire locals for their crews and extras, for instance.
Paul Martin Antiques on River Street supplies filmmakers and television producers with props like wooden file cabinets and bedroom sets. His things have appeared in movies including “The Cider House Rules” and “The Good Shepherd.”
Andover’s “Hot Dog Guy,” Don Cowan of Methuen, recently was called in by producers and asked to drive to Boston, where he would sell a hot dog to Jennifer Garner in the movie “Ghosts of Girlfriends Past.”
Lawrence Municipal Airport Manager Michael Miller said money is funnelling in there from an increase in jets landings.
He never knows who is in the planes, but he’s seen more jets since filming started in Haverhill, Andover, Lawrence and Lowell. The airport receives a $10 landing fee for the small, single-engine planes and as much as $100 for small jets.
“Hopefully the cast and crew will go to restaurants and stop at stores,” Miller said.
“Anything that draws attention to North Andover in a major way and provides revenue for the local businesses is great for the region and great for the area.”
A recent state study conducted by the Department of Revenue showed the Bay State receives $17 million in income, sales and other taxes for every $100 million in film tax credits.
“Some people say the money goes only to Boston. I’ve seen exactly the opposite as we get repeat business,” Paleologos said. “The places they spent most their time were Lowells and Gloucesters, Burlingtons.”
And there’s more than economic impact: There’s the excitement of celebrity.
Star sightings are causing a stir with people camping out by Osgood Landing for autographs. Rob Lowe, who starred in “This Side of the Truth,” dined at several local eateries, including Palmers in Andover.
Nancy Parnigoni, manager at Orzo Trattoria in North Andover, said Lowe and his manager came for lunch while he was filming at Osgood Landing.
She said Lowe was very low-key and was surprised to hear that an article was in the local newspaper about the filming.
“I told him it’s not every day you have such A-list move stars down the street filming,” she said.
At least for now.
Focus: Osgood Landing reinventing itself as the new place to work
By Drake Lucas, Eagle-Tribune
April 7, 2008
Laser tag, manufacturing infrared lenses for the military and technology consulting might not seem to go together, but they are just a few of the businesses that mingle at Osgood Landing.
Originally built as a manufacturing hub for Western Electric in 1956, the 1.5 million-square-foot complex is home to a variety of offices that moved to the building for its commuter convenience, affordable rent and building set-up.
“The key benefit is the utility infrastructure — power, water, sewer and gas,” said Ellen Keller, vice president of commercial real estate for Osgood Landing. “We have terrific amenities.”
Keller said the building on Route 125 is about 60 percent full, with around 750,000 square feet left to rent.
Ophir Optics Operations Manager Tim Petter said Osgood Landing has been good for his business, which manufactures infrared lenses. He said the company moved out of Wilmington to 32,000 square feet at Osgood Landing in February because business was growing and is expected to keep growing.
He said the building is also already set up for manufacturing with power, heating and ventilation to meet the requirements for the type of work Ophir Optics does. The other nice feature was having space to play with, almost like having a new building that could be tailored to fit for what was needed.
That was also a benefit for Lazer Craze, which opened Feb. 1. Owner Greg Hughes said laser tag needs high ceilings, and Osgood Landing had them — 27 feet high. Hughes said having the entertainment center, which also features video games and food, in an office park means different traffic all day, from office workers coming in for a slice of pizza at lunch to families coming to play after school.
He said he is looking forward to a plan by the town for the 169 surrounding acres that includes 530 apartments and attracting more retail businesses and restaurants.
“I think this whole end of North Andover could really be turned into quite an active area,” Hughes said. “We would welcome that.”
For KDSA Consulting, relatively cheap rates were the attraction, but once it moved in last September the company’s owners realized the versatility of the space.
The company helps businesses find information technology solutions. Principal John LoConte said access to a conference center and auditorium, in addition to office space, has allowed the company to become an IBM Blade Solutions Service Center, meaning the company has space for demonstrations and seminars.
David W. Paul, vice president of Business Development for Network Allies LLC, said the price was also a big draw for his company — two-thirds of the price he’d pay for similar space elsewhere. The company, which builds custom computers for equipment manufacturers, was also able to get some equipment with its lease that belonged to Lucent Technologies, including cubicles.
Paul said the business takes up 10,000 square feet now but has plans to grow over the next couple of years. He said he hadn’t heard much about the space before, but it has worked well for his company since it moved in last April.
“It’s a well-kept secret compared to anything else we looked at,” he said.
