Seaport District’s old 51 Sleeper Street to undergo major renovation

A major renovation of the former 51 Sleeper Street in the Seaport District could include a new roof deck with some choice neighborhood and water views, according to owner Brookfield Properties.

The company acquired the eight-story, 152,000-square-foot office building in 2018 for $91 million. A renovation of the 90-year-old property—which Brookfield re-dubbed Three Seaport—was expected.

Boston-based Merge Architects is leading the renovation, which will include revamped retail space and that roof deck (though the latter is subject to public approvals). The building is also slated to get “a reimagined lobby inspired by the Seaport’s industrial heritage,” according to a late April release from Manhattan-based Brookfield.

As such, the renovation will take advantage of the lobby’s existing exposed concrete, dark wood, perforated metal mesh, and blackened steel. The idea, according to Brookfield, is to fit Three Seaport’s common areas into the wider emerging neighborhood.

“With the Seaport District flourishing as a top mixed-use neighborhood, Three Seaport will further elevate and enhance the area as a leading choice for innovative companies, residents and visitors alike,” Ben Brown, a top Brookfield executive, said in the release.

Current tenants at the building include architectural firm Bergmeyer, the nonprofit the United Way, the U.S. General Services Administration, and the state Department of Early Education and Care. The building also hosts brew-your-own-beer concern Hoopsters Brewing Company at its base.

And Three Seaport is across from the one-acre Martin’s Park, which is expected to open this year and which is named for the youngest victim of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing.