"It makes all the sense in the world," says the industryprofessional, who bolstered another source professing to be "very,very sure" that the owners of Northwest Park and an unnamed capitalpartner have beaten off a bevy of eager capital rushing up Route128 in concert with the regional economic recovery. "They are thebuyers," the source tells GlobeSt.com, with that source and othersmaintaining the owners might have been able to pay more given theirproximity to the asset, allowing for greater operationalefficiencies.

The family that launched Northwest Park a half-century ago,making it one of suburban Boston's first office projects, has areal estate legacy dating to the 1920s. Members of the Nordblomclan broke off a separate investment entity in 1994 called NordicProperties. Ogden Hunnewell, Nordic's president, did not respond tocalls regarding the potential purchase of One Network Dr., whilethe brokerage team involved in the deal, Jones Lang LaSalle,declined comment on the status through a spokesman.

Already among the largest commercial developments in the area at160 acres and 1.4 million sf, Northwest Park would become even moreimposing thanks to a plan unveiled late last year to add a 600,000sf of retail, housing and other uses to the footprint. How theownership's plans would be impacted, if at all, by the purchase ofOne Network Dr. is unclear, but one observer says it would bebeneficial to control as much of the roadway as possible.