Landmark Bedford buildings sold at auction to Woburn buyers
BEDFORD, Mass. (January 9, 2026) – Just one business day after learning of a public auction for a long-vacant office and research center in Bedford, Cummings Properties submitted the winning bid of $5.6 million, over several other significant bidders.
The two buildings, located at 174 and 176 Middlesex Turnpike, last sold for more than $93 million, in 2012, to Texas-based Orion Reit, LP.
Developed in 2001, the 56-acre campus comprises two interconnected three- and four-story buildings totaling approximately 330,000 square feet of modern office and research space. About 16 acres of the site are fully developed and usable, while more than 35 additional acres consist largely of protected wetlands and recorded conservation easements approved during and since the original development.
According to Eric Anderson, president of Cummings, the Bedford parcel was purchased with cash and has already generated considerable interest from prospective tenants. Cummings campuses in other communities frequently draw a wide variety of clients, including medical practices and other healthcare providers. These “Medical City” developments have performed exceptionally well.
“Cummings has a long track record of buying underappreciated properties and making them successful,” Anderson said. “Because we purchased the property at the right price, we can be highly competitive with our initial rates to attract ideal leasing clients.”
Anderson noted that triple-net lease rates for this property start as low as $9.50 per square foot for large lessees.
“We’ve already conducted tours with several potential full-floor users, plus one firm that is considering the entire two-building complex,” said Anderson.
Cummings Properties manages 11 million square feet across 12 eastern Massachusetts communities, including Woburn, where it is headquartered. Its properties are primarily large, multi-tenant commercial buildings that together accommodate nearly 2,000 client firms from a broad cross section of industries.
Cummings’ diverse portfolio includes technical, retail, and traditional office space as well as hundreds of health and wellness facilities, including established “Medical City” clusters in Woburn and Beverly. Anderson believes the Bedford campus — known as Bedford Woods — could be well suited for similar medical and professional uses. The location also offers MBTA bus service directly within the site and convenient access to regional amenities, including Burlington Mall, located two miles away.
The 56-year-old commercial real estate organization also has a longstanding philanthropic presence. Joyce and Bill Cummings founded Cummings Foundation in 1986. It now distributes $40 million to $50 million annually to charitable organizations in eastern Massachusetts. Since 2016, the Foundation has awarded a combined $1,625,000 to Bedford-area nonprofits alone, including The Edinburg Center, Bedford Public Schools, Middlesex Community College, and Nashoba Learning Group.
Additional information about 174 and 176 Middlesex Turnpike is available at cummings.com/bedford.
Back