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Hotel, sports complex in New Balance plan

Work on headquarters in Brighton slated for 2013

In its plans for a newworld headquarters, NewBalance has had its main office building designed to mimic the shape of running shoe.ELKUS MANFREDI ARCHITECTS AND HOWARD/STEIN HUDSON ASSOCIATES

Athletic shoe giant New Balance released detailed plans Wednesday for a new world headquarters in Brighton that would include at least four buildings with offices, restaurants, a hotel, and a sports complex for everything from ice hockey to tennis.

The development would create a 14-acre campus for the company along the Massachusetts Turnpike, where it has been slowly laying the groundwork for a major expansion. Officials at New Balance said yesterday they want the complex to be eye-catching - its main office building is designed to mimic the shape of running shoe.

“What we’re trying to do is provide something that’s unique in the city of Boston,’’ said Matt LeBretton, a spokesman for the company. “We view this as an opportunity to take barren, unused land along the Mass. Pike and make it a gem for the city with open [space] and mixed-use development.’’

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New Balance must go through a monthslong city review process before starting construction. The company has not released a cost estimate for the development but said it would like to begin construction in spring 2013.

New Balance officials had previously released an outline of the plan, but Wednesday’s release included much more detail. The new buildings on the property would contain about 1.4 million square feet and range between 95 and 205 feet in height, or roughly nine to 20 stories. The complex would include a range of restaurants, retail shops, and public parks as part of a new “health and wellness district’’ in the city.

New Balance itself expects to increase its head count on the property by about 10 percent, to 660 employees. The four new buildings, designed by Elkus Manfredi Architects and Howard/Stein Hudson Associates, will include the following uses:

NewBalance will go through a city reviewprocess of its plans. The company hopes to start construction in 2013.ELKUS MANFREDI ARCHITECTS AND HOWARD/STEIN HUDSON ASSOCIATES

Headquarters office building: The headquarters will be a 250,000-square-foot building to house New Balance employees, managers, and officers; it may also contain restaurants and stores. It will be located along the turnpike, on the northerly side of Guest Street, and will not exceed 130 feet in height.

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Hotel: The hotel will have about 175 rooms and suites in a 140,000-square-foot building, and will be next to the headquarters. It will not exceed 205 feet in height.

Sports complex: The sports facility will be about 345,000 square feet and may include venues for basketball, tennis, ice hockey, general recreation, track and field, and a fitness/health and wellness facility. The complex will be open to the public, and New Balance intends to make it available to local athletic groups. In addition, this project may also house offices, restaurants, stores, and other services. It will not exceed 95 feet in height.

Additional offices: One or more buildings with about 650,000 of office space, as well as additional room for restaurants, stores, and services. The buildings would be located west of the headquarters building and hotel. Those buildings will not exceed 165 feet in height.


Casey Ross can be reached at cross@globe.com.