In two separate buys, Everest Partners LLC acquired a 60,000 sf class A office building at of 225 Friend St. here and a three-building, 270,000-sf portfolio of suburban office and flex properties in the city's northern and western suburbs. The Friend Street building, located in the Bulfinch Triangle area which is currently undergoing redevelopment, was acquired from Essex River Ventures of Boston, for approximately $12.3 million.

The firm also picked up a three-property office/flex portfolio for $25.5 million from Berkeley Investments that includes 3 Riverside Dr. in Andover, 155 and 117 Flanders Rd. in Westboro and 1881 Worcester Rd. in Framingham. The acquisitions bring Everest Partners' holdings in New England to nearly four million sf of office, retail and manufacturing pace in New England.

Bob MacNamara, director of asset management for Everest, described the purchase in a statement as "entirely complementary with the existing 50 buildings in the Everest Portfolio. It will bring economies to the urban operations and leasing efforts and well as enhance our ability in the suburban markets to meet the current and future needs of our tenants."

Peter Joseph, with the Trammel Crow Co.'s Boston office, along with colleague Chris Phaneuf, represented both the buyer and seller in the Berkley portfolio sale. He tells GlobeSt.com that the portfolio was sought after by at least 10 value-added buyers.Joseph says the seller, which put the buildings on the market about four months ago, opted to divest of the holdings because it was "winding down" a partnership agreement that had a stake in the properties. Scott Jamieson of Spaulding & Slye handled the Friend Street transaction for both the buyer and seller.