Lyrik Back Bay Earns Multiple Industry Honors as Boston’s First Air Rights Development in 40 Years

Developed by Samuels & Associates and built by Suffolk, Lyrik is honored by Engineering News-Record, Construction Management Association of America for excellence in construction delivery and collaboration

Suffolk, one of the most innovative and successful builders in the country, and Samuels & Associates, a leading Boston-based real estate development and investment firm, today announced that Lyrik, formerly known as Parcel 12, has been recognized with multiple prestigious industry awards celebrating the project’s excellence in planning, design and construction.

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Lyrik stands above the Massachusetts Turnpike, showcasing one of Boston’s most significant air-rights developments in decades.

As the first air-rights development in Boston in more than 40 years, Lyrik reimagined what is possible in one of the most complex environments for construction while revitalizing a long-underutilized parcel above the Massachusetts Turnpike.

The transformative mixed-use development was recently named Engineering News-Record (ENR) East’s Best Regional Project: Mixed-Use and was selected as a finalist for ENR New England’s Project of the Year. Lyrik has also received the Construction Management Association of America (CMAA) Project Achievement Award in the Residential/Mixed-Use category (construction value over $50 million) and was honored by the Commercial Real Estate Development Association (NAIOP) with their Distinguished Development Award, and was recognized by the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) Boston chapter’s The Outstanding Building of the Year (TOBY) Awards for Mixed-Use Building of the Year.

The construction of Lyrik required a uniquely coordinated and technologically advanced approach. Suffolk leveraged digital modeling, real-time scheduling and project controls, and close alignment with design and trade partners to safely deliver the structure above the Massachusetts Turnpike, while ensuring uninterrupted transit operations below. The project serves as a model for high-density development that bridges transportation corridors and reconnects communities.

Built directly above the Massachusetts Turnpike and active MBTA rail lines, the project required an extraordinary level of coordination among public and private partners, from MassDOT and MBTA to engineers and dozens of trade crews working within inches of live traffic. Before construction began, Suffolk utilized a Digital Delivery process including VDC integration, field-driven mockups and coordinated drawings to eliminate design conflicts and leading to reduced rework in the field. To safely install massive steel beams that formed the platform supporting the entire development over the highway, Suffolk implemented “rolling roadblocks” that briefly shut down traffic and allowed crews minutes-long windows of time to lift and secure materials before lanes were reopened to drivers.

“Lyrik is a symbol of what can be achieved when committed partners share a vision and work together relentlessly to make that vision a reality,” said Patrick Lucey, General Manager, Northeast, at Suffolk. “As the first air-rights project in Boston in more than forty years, Lyrik was an incredibly complicated project that required construction above an active highway and transit infrastructure. The entire construction process required collaboration, innovation, precision and creativity to ensure success. We are incredibly proud of these accomplishments and we are honored Lyrik has been recognized.”

“Lyrik represents the culmination of a shared vision, redefining what’s possible in urban development and strengthening the fabric of the city we call home,” said Abe Menzin, Executive VP of Development & Principal. “This project exemplifies the power of public-private partnership, technical innovation, and the enduring vibrancy of Boston’s neighborhoods. Lyrik transforms a space that once divided two neighborhoods into a dynamic gateway that celebrates our community and brings people together.”

Connecting Boston’s Back Bay and Fenway neighborhoods, Lyrik includes approximately 655,000 square feet of office, hospitality and retail spaces. The development features a CitizenM hotel; modern office and research space anchored by CarGurus; and a collection of street-level dining and retail experiences, including a Rivian electric vehicle showroom and service hub.

Suffolk continues to deliver some of New England’s most complex and impactful development projects. Recent notable work includes Winthrop Center, which earned ENR New England’s 2024 Award of Merit: Mixed-Use and a CMAA Project Achievement Award; the South Station Tower, a transformative expansion of one of the busiest transit hubs in the Northeast completed this fall; the Northeastern University EXP research and academic facility, which advances interdisciplinary science and engineering learning; and the Boston University Center for Computing & Data Sciences, a landmark sustainable high-rise that anchors BU’s future in data-driven innovation. These projects reflect Suffolk’s continued commitment to shaping the skyline, strengthening community connections, and redefining what’s possible in complex urban construction.

About Suffolk

Suffolk is a national enterprise that builds, innovates and invests. Suffolk is an end-to-end business that provides value throughout the entire project lifecycle by leveraging its core construction management services with vertical service lines that include real estate capital investment, design, self-perform construction services, technology start-up investment (Suffolk Technologies) and innovation research/development.

Suffolk – America’s Contractor – is a national company with more than $9 billion in annual revenue, 3,000 employees, and offices in Boston (headquarters); New York City and Westchester County, New York; Miami, West Palm Beach, Tampa and Estero in Florida; Dallas; Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Diego; Las Vegas; Portland, Maine; New Haven, Connecticut; Herndon, Virginia; and Salt Lake City.

Suffolk manages some of the most complex, sophisticated projects in the country, serving clients in every major industry sector, including healthcare, life sciences, education, gaming, transportation/aviation, federal government and public work, mission critical, advanced technology and commercial. Suffolk is privately held and is led by Founder, Chairman and CEO John Fish. Suffolk is ranked #8 on ENR’s list of “Largest Domestic Builders” and #10 on its list of “Top CM-at-Risk Contractors.” For more information, visit ww.suffolk.com and follow Suffolk on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.

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