Old Lord & Taylor stores at 3 Mass. malls to become lab space

BURLINGTON - Former retail spaces are making way for lab facilities at three malls in Massachusetts.

Old Lord & Taylor stores at the Burlington Mall, Natick Mall and South Shore Plaza will be converted into "state-of-the-art life science facilities," HBC Properties and Investments announced. Each location will have about 120,000 feet of office and communal space.

Lord & Taylor was the nation's first department store when it opened in 1826, but closed all its remaining locations in 2020. 

HBC says "demand for highly amenitized suburban offices in Boston continues to surge post-pandemic as companies seek accommodations that meet employees' needs in the current climate."

Renovations are expected to start later this year, and tenants could move in by the end of 2023.