Samuels & Associates today announced an exciting and diverse array of national and local restaurants and retail anchoring the public plaza at the base of its state-of-the-art hotel, office and life science project, Parcel 12, in the Back Bay/Fenway. Lyrik Back Bay was also unveiled as the name for Boston’s striking new gateway and western anchor of Back Bay and Newbury Street. Electric vehicle brand Rivian will open its first Boston area retail location there this summer, and Avra Estiatorio – the acclaimed Greek restaurant with outposts in New York City, Miami and Los Angeles – will debut its first Boston location in Spring 2025 with expansive views, private balcony seating, a spacious bar area, and a sleek aesthetic inspired by the Greek village of Nafpaktos. These premier national tenants will be joined by local favorites George Howell Coffee and Pink Carrot and, new to Boston, ChiCha San Chen, an acclaimed international organic tea house in the fall of 2024. With the signing of these tenants, S&A has now announced leases of more than 65% of the retail space in Lyrik Back Bay.
These first brands are reflective of the location – authentic, forward-thinking and best-in-class – and collectively they will extend the experience and draw of Newbury Street as its western and most significant anchor. As the retail opens throughout 2024 and into 2025, the multi-level plaza will be activated with varied programming designed to introduce the new space to all – from live music to public art to welcoming seating for anyone who wants to sit back and enjoy the best seat in Back Bay.
Located adjacent to a dramatic new public plaza and green space built on a deck over the Massachusetts Turnpike, Lyrik’s retail collection will be part of an inspiring new connection point for residents, students, travelers, and the city’s bustling workforce. The Lyrik name is inspired by the creative energy of neighbors including Berklee College of Music and The Boston Pops, the legacy of music and art in the area, and the city’s history as an innovation incubator. Lyrik delivers a dynamic, new 450,000 square foot office and life sciences building with corporate headquarters for both anchor tenants CarGurus and the LEGO Group, 35,000 square feet of shops and restaurants, a new multi-tiered public plaza and an all-electric citizenM affordable luxury hotel.
“This new anchor for the Back Bay centers around a European-style piazza where people can gather alongside shops and cafes, which we envision as a new heartbeat for the neighborhood,” says Steve Samuels, Chairman and Principal of Samuels & Associates. “As a new significant gateway to the city, this new, energized and activated space – where there once was none – delivers a compelling magnet for visitors and neighbors.”
“We are incredibly excited to not only welcome these new retailers and restaurants to our community, but to see the fulfillment of a long-held vision for this site as a fitting entrance to the Back Bay and Newbury Street,” said Meg Mainzer-Cohen, President of the Back Bay Association. “Creating this unique new plaza that can be both a gathering place for our community and continue the historic position of Newbury Street as a destination for dining, shopping and entertainment.”
About Lyrik
This transformational mixed-use project establishes a destination at the Newbury Street/Mass Avenue intersection, dramatically improves the pedestrian and bicyclist experience, upgrades the MBTA bus station and subway headhouse, and creates over half an acre of publicly accessible open space consisting of a civic plaza and an elevated landscaped plaza. Lyrik also offers a world-class approach to sustainability and positive economic impact, including: 2,750 permanent on-site jobs spread among the office, retail, restaurant and hotel uses, and 1,100 construction jobs. CarGurus and the LEGO Group are the anchor tenants for the commercial office space and citizenM is opening a 399-room hotel in Summer 2024, the largest in their portfolio.
About Samuels & Associates
Samuels & Associates specializes in fostering communities that inspire people to love where they are. We are stewards of the built environment and caretakers of our community’s vision, driven to create welcoming and inclusive spaces in Boston and beyond. Widely recognized for our effectiveness at placemaking and integrated open spaces, Samuels & Associates has achieved success in mixed-use development, leasing, and management over the past three decades. Active pedestrian environments, curated retail and restaurant storefronts, amenity-rich housing options, and creative life science and commercial spaces are hallmarks of Samuels developments. Learn more at www.samuelsre.com.
