Big
changes are to come for Kendall Square, one of the busiest, most
innovative technology hubs in the ever-advancing Cambridge
area.
Already distinguished by the unique architecture of nearby
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, as well as the sleek design
of many cutting-edge tech firms such as Google, Akamai
Technologies, and The Cambridge Innovation Center, this little
slice of stainless steel and smart cars is about to undertake a
whole new venture: neighborliness.
On Tuesday, The Cambridge Planning Board approved a plan seven
years in the making to revamp the area with new housing, office
buildings, retailers, and a grocery store, as reported by The Boston Globe. It
would replace parking lots and older buildings with 1.5 million
square feet of housing, office and lab space, and new retail, along
with a host of street-level goodies, from a rebuilt T station in a
new plaza to new Hubway racks, the newspaper reported.
MIT is the driving force behind the massive operation, having
worked at length with city officials to rezone a large chunk of its
property on Main Street–the heart of Kendall Square–before
presenting $1.2 billion worth of plans for six new buildings.
According to The Globe, the office market in Kendall has
exploded in recent years, with rents now among the highest on the
East Coast, making this endeavor both timely and advantageous. MIT
plans to devote all office and lab space for private-sector
tenants, rather than its own academic use, in order to continue the
areas explosive, versatile growth. In a statement following the
announcement of the plans approval, university president Rafael
Reif credited the hard working residents of Kendall square.
Over two decades – thanks the energy, creativity and aspirations
of thousands of researchers, inventors, entrepreneurs and companies
of every size, Kendall Square has gradually evolved from a
semi-industrial landscape to one of the most remarkable hubs of
innovation in the world, Reif said in a statement. With their
decision, the members of the Planning Board granted us the ability
to make a good thing even better.
And even better it will be–with more than 100,000 square feet
of retail, a new public plaza, and a re-built entryway to the
Kendall Square Red Line station to come, the area is on track to be
the new hotspot for Cambridge area living. Developers are including
290-unit apartment building and a 450-bed graduate student dorm, in
order to accommodate the predicted influx of techies, shopaholics,
and people who like to wake up to the smell of innovation.
Source: The Boston Globe Photo Credit: MA office of Travel and Tourism