Google has been known for wanting to expand its presence in The
Greater Boston Area for quite some time now, both in terms of
personnel (currently around eight hundred workers) and real estate
possessions. We once reported
about their hopes for expanding their expansive urban campus in
Cambridges Kendall Square at four and five Cambridge Center.
However, there appears to have been a halt that has come up in
these plans.
Boston Properties, the landlord for Google at this location,
wishes to connect the two aforementioned buildings at Cambridge
Center via a glass enclosed bridge. While this would make the two
buildings essentially one and would make things far more efficient
for Google, city officials are stalling at the idea. The main issue
is that this proposal would cut off 18,000 square feet of a rooftop
garden that has been described as a hidden gem in the area. Boston
Properties has concluded that in response they will build a 47,000
square foot park on Binney Street. Although to them this seems like
a very valid and honest trade off, city officials are sharing that
the community simply wants the opportunity to have a say in the
matter when it comes to a green space that workers in the area have
grown to love.
More Information: Boston Herald