June 2026 29

Cambridge, MA – Nauset Construction recently completed the third and final phase of renovations for 300 Bent Street.

The 100,000sf, 3-story building, owned by Paul Lohnes and managed through The Lohnes Company, serves as a mission-critical telecommunications and data infrastructure facility for the New England operations of Verizon, Lumen Technologies, Lightpath Technologies, and other telecommunications carriers. The project required structural upgrades, as well as surgical precision demolition and excavation of the existing lobby. This work supports new construction of a reenvisioned, modern, and accessible lobby, including a new freight elevator and a stairwell extending from the basement to the roof.

“ Working in any occupied building always presents a degree of difficulty,

300 Bent Street Photos courtesy of Nauset Construction but working in an occupied data center required an extraordinary level of coordination and attention to safety during construction, and Nauset delivered,” said Ken McClure, VP of development for The DeNunzio Group, acting as owner’ s representative on behalf of Paul Lohnes and The Lohnes Company, which has worked closely with Nauset throughout the project.

Nauset collaborated with Khalsa Design Inc.( KDI), which served as the architect for all three phases of the renovation. The design team also included Allied Engineering( MEP / FP engineering) and Roome & Guarracino( structural engineering), both of which played critical roles in supporting the complex infrastructure upgrades required for the facility. Phase One included

Finished facade

the demolition and reconstruction of a new loading dock, the installation of an underground fuel tank, and a new EPDM roof. Phase Two focused on the renovation of the building’ s 200’ x 48’ exterior front façade. The original concrete exterior skin was reinforced and clad with modern Nichiha panels in varying shades of gray and blue, and the original ribbon windows were replaced with new custom-fabricated storefront windows. The re-imagination of the façade included bold signage for the principal tenant, Lumen.

Phase III renovations involved demolishing and excavating the first-floor lobby, including the existing elevator and shaft, to construct a below-grade elevator mechanical equipment room. This subsurface work required the team to develop a creative dewatering solution

before foundation work could proceed. Construction for the new lobby included a new elevator pit, masonry shaft, and elevator as well as a new curtainwall system, lighting, tile flooring, paint, and finishes. Accessibility to the facility was improved by removing the existing ramp, lowering the grade to ground level, and extending and replacing the recessed storefront. Additional work included mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and fire protection system upgrades throughout the building.

Lobby

“ In addition to the challenges inherent to working on a highly sensitive, fully occupied data center, there was the added complexity of working on a zerolot line site adjacent to a busy police headquarters,” said Anthony Papantonis, president of Nauset Construction.“ Our experience working with tight urban infill projects served us well with this project.”

In this latest grant round, The 1772 Foundation worked with statewide historic preservation nonprofit organizations, including Preservation Massachusetts, to administer 1:1 matching grants of up to $ 10,000 for individual projects. At their quarterly meeting, the trustees of The 1772 Foundation awarded $ 125,000 in grants to 15 Massachusetts projects, selected based on recommendations from Preservation Massachusetts. Grants will be used to fund exterior work on historic buildings across the Commonwealth.

Massachusetts grant recipients include:

• Alden Kindred of America for the Alden House Historic Site( Duxbury)

• Bellforge Arts Center for the Former Medfield State Hospital Infirmary( Medfield)

• Dudley Conservation Land Trust( Dudley)

• Friends of the Franklin County Fairgrounds( Greenfield)

• The Fuller House of Stoneham( Stoneham)

• Historic Deerfield, Inc.( Deerfield)

• Lawrence History Center( Lawrence)

• Lowell’ s Boat Shop( Amesbury)

• New Bedford Historical Society( New Bedford)

• North Andover Historical Society( North Andover)

• Plimoth Patuxet Museums( Plymouth)

• Plummer Youth Promise( Salem)

• Springfield Preservation Trust( Springfield)

• Warren Public Library( Warren)

• Williams-Boltwood House Trust( Goshen) Preservation Massachusetts executive director, Jessica Rudden-Dube, said,“ The 2026 initial inquiry phase generated more than $ 622,000 in funding requests, underscoring the urgent and ongoing need for preservation investment across the Commonwealth. As we commemorate 250 years of American history, the importance of protecting the places that tell our shared story has never been more meaningful. From historic landmarks to

Franklin County Fairgrounds

community gathering spaces, Massachusetts’ historic buildings anchor our cities and towns while connecting us to the people, events, and traditions that shaped both the Commonwealth and the nation. The dedicated work of organizations stewarding these irreplaceable resources ensures that the stories embedded in our built environment continue to inspire, educate, and strengthen communities for generations to come. We are deeply grateful for The 1772 Foundation’ s continued partnership and proudly congratulate this year’ s grant recipients.”

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