G20 buys Newbury Street building

By Sandra Miller
Back Bay Sun
Newbury Street continues to ebb and flow with business, but on a bright note, Emerge and G2O owner Joyce Hampers is happy to announce she’s closing this month on two buildings, at 276 and 278 Newbury St.
“We are very excited,” said Hampers. “We are closing the middle of February.”
The two buildings are across the street from Emerge; L’Elite and Zoe Home had been previous tenants, but will be moving to another address. Hampers plans to combine the two buildings and add a penthouse to create a 13,000 square foot facility to house G2O Spa & Salon, which is now at 338 Newbury St. in 11,350 square feet of leased quarters.
“Once this facility is completed, it will have no equal in the country as to amount of space and amenities,” said Hampers. “We plan a fireplaced lounge, a hot tub with patio, and cafe in the penthouse, in addition to lots of other unique features.”
The space is being designed by architect Guy Grassi at Grassi Design Group. The renovations are expected to begin in early April, with a grand opening planned for Summer 2010. “We don't expect more than a couple of weeks of downtime, fingers crossed, while we make the actual move,” said Hampers.
Hampers wants to continue keeping her two facilities separate, G2O aims for a sleek, contemporary, minimalist design, “whereas Emerge is the more European, traditionalist design and, therefore, appeals to a different audience,” said Hampers.
Does buying property in this economy give her the jitters? “No, I'm not nervous about this venture because not only do I have faith in the Street and the U.S. economy, but we have already established ourselves with a solid base of clientele who are here to stay,” said Hampers. “We are pioneers and leaders in the Spa industry with unique offerings.”