News | June 2nd 2015

Mass+Main Approved by Cambridge City Council

After nearly a year of intense preparation and public process, Cambridge City Council adopted the Mass+Main zoning petition on May 18th by a vote of 7-2, with a favorable endorsement from Mayor Maher and the Cambridge City Planning Board. The petition rezones the block at the intersection of Mass+Main in Central Square from 55 feet to 195 feet for mixed use residential construction. CBT will design two buildings with a total of approximately 10,000 SF of retail on Jill Browne-Rhone Park and 230 residential units above. Building one on Mass Ave. will be 195’ tall, and marks the gateway into Central Square, while building two on Columbia Street is 70’ tall and steps down into the residential neighborhood in Area Four. The project will replace the former Quest Diagnostics properties, and prevents the spread of lab and office buildings from penetrating the heart of Cambridge.

The affordable unit mix is unprecedented for Cambridge in a project this size: 20% of the units will be for residents who qualify as low to middle income (50 total units), with 10% of the overall units being 3 bedrooms for less fortunate families. CBT is expected to carry the buildings through completion. The project is a collaboration between Twining Properties and Normandy Real Estate Partners.