Suffolk Construction spends $50 million on Roxbury tech hub

Suffolk Construction invested $50 million in a new 40,000-square-foot facility in Roxbury.

The company merged two aging industrial buildings on Magazine Street to create the space, which it has named 100MAG.

The new structure opened on October 26 in the Newmarket area, a district characterized by warehouses and meat processing plants.

The primary purpose of the facility is to consolidate Suffolk's design, artificial intelligence, and data teams under one roof.

It will also host Boost, the company's startup accelerator, and Suffolk Technologies, its venture capital arm.

John Fish, the chief executive and owner of Suffolk, stated that the goal is to make construction projects safer and more efficient from initial design to final inspection.

The company is using artificial intelligence to track project progress and identify potential delays on major sites.

AI engineers are now assigned to large projects, including the new hospital Suffolk is building for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

These engineers work alongside construction teams to improve workflows and speed up supply orders.

Fish noted that for a low-margin industry, such efficiency can determine whether a specific job yields a profit or a loss.

He told visitors during a tour that the company has created a local ecosystem for these innovations.

Fish said, “AI is going to change the way we build going forward.” Suffolk has invested in Openspace.ai, a San Francisco startup that develops software to remotely monitor construction sites. Jeevan Kalanithi, the chief executive of Openspace.ai, described Suffolk as a valuable supporter and user of the technology. Kalanithi stated that while some firms use technology for marketing, Suffolk uses it for competitive advantage. He said, “John and Suffolk, they walk the walk.” He added that they believe technology helps solve complex problems in construction. Fish has long advocated for high-tech tools in the building industry. In the late 2010s, he attempted to rebrand the company as a tech firm. He now defines Suffolk as a construction company that uses technology to differentiate itself from rivals. The company continues to grow despite a slowdown in Boston construction markets. Suffolk has expanded its portfolio to include data centers, casinos, and airports. Fish expects the company to generate $13 billion or more in revenue this fiscal year. Fifteen years ago, 75 percent of Suffolk's business came from Massachusetts projects. That figure has dropped to under 20 percent today. Approximately 500 of Suffolk's 4,000 employees work at the Roxbury campus. The investment has drawn attention to the Newmarket industrial zone, an area often cited for housing encampments. Sue Sullivan, executive director of the Newmarket Business Improvement District, said the area is experiencing a rebound. She noted that vacancies are minimal and issues with homelessness and crime have decreased. Sullivan pointed to investments in the new Roxbury Prep charter high school and Clifford Park as part of this shift. She said the change in the area's narrative is driven largely by Suffolk's investment. Sullivan described Newmarket as a tough tech industrial innovation district, noting that Suffolk's work fits that identity.