Cambridge Infill and Small Developments

Too bad Google is not looking for space in the Innovation District. There is plenty and would be a good addition.
 
Well, Google wants proximity to other tech firms / MIT. There's not a critical mass of that in the "Innovation District," not now and maybe not ever compared to what exists in Kendall.

Thinking out loud - it would have helped the SBW a lot more to have rerouted the Red Line through between South Station and Broadway rather than implementing the Silver Line (I know, any rail would have been better than the Silver Line, but this is an idea I don't hear expressed as often as proposing a straight-up LRT conversion). The direct access to Kendall would have been a boon if they had decided to harvest this land for tech etc. earlier.
 
TheRifleman said:
Too bad Google is not looking for space in the Innovation District. There is plenty and would be a good addition.
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Riff -- Google, Microsot, Amazon -- these really do benfit from being next to MIT -- the are doing much more unstructured or losely structured reseach -- there is no real value for them to be in the SPID except slghtly more availble land for building and ocean views

On the other hand the Vertex, Genzyme, Biogen, Alyanium (/), etc., etc., are much more self contained and directed in what they are doing -- thus they could easily pick-up and put-down in the SPID -- though the buildings need to be customized for the lab space -- as Vertex is in the process of doing such now -- more will follow the Vertex lead.

In the middle there are the small companies that benefit mostly from comaradery and networking in Kedall -- they need to be in Kendall now -- but could proably go to the SPID in the next few years -- though these are unlikely to settle in first-class office space
 
Update on Google Plan for Cambridge campus
2/28/2010 Cambridge City Council Mtg.

from Globe:
http://articles.boston.com/2012-02-28/business/31104837_1_google-open-space-cambridge-plan

Cambridge plan for Google tabled
Around the Region
February 28, 2012|By Brock Parker


A development that would clear the way for a major expansion of Google’s offices in Kendall Square surfaced before the Cambridge City Council last night but was tabled amid questions.

Boston Properties Limited Partnership proposed a 25,000-square-foot building to connect existing buildings at Four and Five Cambridge Center, where Google has office space.

....Michael Cantalupa, of Boston Properties, requested the proposal be tabled until the developer can address planning teams for East Cambridge and Kendall and Central squares.

City Manager Robert Healy called the plan an “exciting economic development opportunity.’’...
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Sounds as if the tabling was a planned maneuver coordinated between Cambridge City gov't, Boston Properties and Google designed to defuse the NIMBYs before they could explode

I susppect Boston Properties and Google will make some gesture to be announced at some meeting with the local advisory group and then the re-vised plan will be swiftly approved
 
So the park that was over the parking lot that was under the park won't get paved over for a parking lot which is actually a building?
 
statler said:
So the park that was over the parking lot that was under the park won't get paved over for a parking lot which is actually a building?
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Stat -- No as I read it the Building connecting the other two buildings and covering part of the park on top of the parking grarage will be done

I'm guessing that the deal is:

1) Google will itself contribute to the new park or perhaps the renovation of the once and future but smaller roof park
2) Boston Properties will change the footprint of the connector building to stil get the sq. ft. but cover less of the garage
3) there will be some other concession to the neighborhood watchdogs such as perhaps some community acess to Googles' recreation and fitness facilites or something else
4) there will be a formal meeting with the watchdog committee where the above will be announced
5 the now "community approved" deal will sail through the next available Cambridge City Council Meeting
6) the project will be underconstruction by the time the leaves fall and occupied by Google beginning in 2013 -- they like to move fast
 
Joke reference:

Cambridge resident Heather Hoffman said the proposal was worse than the lyrics of the Joni Mitchell song “Big Yellow Taxi” that stated “They paved paradise and put up a parking lot.”

“The parking lot is underneath [the park] and they want to put a building on it,” Hoffman said.
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statler said:
Joke reference:
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Stat -- I'm guessing Heather still pines for the "Summer of Love" and tells all of her friends at every opportunity about gettin high and letting everythin hanginout in the mud at Weedstock

its not tht she really wants the park on top of the garage its just that its green and reminds her of her lost youth
 
today 3rd st I forget what the name of this project is?
023-1.jpg
024.jpg
 
Boston02124 said:
today 3rd st I forget what the name of this project is?
023-1.jpg
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Bos -- you can see it on the sign -- Skansa
At this point its a spec lab project -- no tennant has been announced

The structure is certainly is moving upward rapidly -- I think there's only one more floor + mechanicals to go for the steel work
 
Does anybody know what's happening right at the intersection of Main and Broadway (next to the southern outbound T entrance) ?
 
As much as i like Kendall Square, you have to admit, the pedestrian experience leaves much to be desired, especially close to the Red Line station. Sidewalks end, fences cut you off, etc., etc., etc.
 
Removing unnecessary landscaped medians from its streets and widening sidewalks would be nice. Or just plain old fashioned traffic calming to kill the expressway feel.
 
cozzyd said:
Does anybody know what's happening right at the intersection of Main and Broadway (next to the southern outbound T entrance) ?
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Cozz -- saw it yesterday -- seemed to be fairly small scale and definitely T-related

perhaps F-Line has some information
 
Was it related to the rehab of the plaza around Kendall Station maybe?
 
Also, the majority of Kendall Square (I'm in the wrong thread?) is a bit of a walk to public transportation, no? Makes it hard to then argue that Seaport District needs public transportation to succeed.

I've often been the one to make that argument, so I need to think about this.
 
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