Takeda Pharmaceutical is quietly turning into one of Cambridge’s biggest sublandlords, marketing roughly 449,000 square feet of lab and office space as it prepares to centralize research and development at a new Kendall Square campus later this year. The blocks of space span multiple East Cambridge properties and rank among the largest single-company offerings to hit the market in recent months. Local brokers say the move is part streamlining, part modernization, as Takeda trims older footprints and doubles down on a newer flagship hub.
In total, Takeda has placed 449,140 square feet on the sublease market across several Cambridge properties, including 300 Massachusetts Ave., 35 Landsdowne St. and the 75–125 Binney complex, according to CoStar. Brokerage materials reviewed by the outlet show the combined availability at roughly 449,140 square feet, positioning Takeda as a major contributor to the city’s swelling sublease inventory at a time when tenants, not landlords, are calling more of the shots.
Takeda consolidates into Kendall Square campus
At the center of the strategy is 585 Third Street, a roughly 600,000-square-foot lab and office development Takeda agreed to occupy in 2022. Company leaders have framed the plan to “unify global R&D into one Cambridge campus” as the key reason for letting go of legacy space scattered around East Cambridge, as outlined in Takeda’s own announcement and project details from developer BioMed Realty. The building is slated for occupancy and fit-out in 2026, setting up a multi-year handoff from older sites to a single, tightly packed Kendall hub.
What’s on the market
On the ground, broker listings show active sublease availability at portions of 300 Massachusetts Ave. and 35 Landsdowne St. One posting lists about 35,500 square feet at 300 Massachusetts Ave., according to Cushman & Wakefield. At the same time, Takeda has locked in its presence at the 75–125 Binney Street complex, extending a long-term lease there that runs through 2040, the landlord said. In effect, Takeda is keeping a foothold in modern Kendall-area space while inviting new tenants or subtenants into older buildings that no longer fit its one-campus game plan.
Market context and other big commitments
All of this is playing out in a Greater Boston life sciences and office market that rebalanced through 2025 as vacancy climbed and landlords adjusted rents and concessions, according to Bisnow. Even so, marquee deals have kept rolling. TransMedics agreed to take nearly 500,000 square feet at Assembly Innovation Park in Somerville, per the City of Somerville. Stoke Therapeutics picked up about 98,500 square feet in Waltham, according to Banker & Tradesman, and Lila Sciences committed roughly 235,000 square feet at Alewife Park, as reported by The Boston Globe, underscoring how demand is uneven but far from dead…