Charles Park Office Redevelopment | 122 - 150 First Street | Cambridge

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bigpicture7

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It seems this probably warrants its own thread (mods, otherwise feel free to move to East Cambridge Small Projects). Apparently, Alexandria just acquired the Charles Park office complex in East Cambridge for $815million and plans to do an office-to-lab conversion.

Reported by BBJ and BldUp:

Alexandria Real Estate Equities Acquires Charles Park in Cambridge for $815 Million

Alexandria Real Estate Equities Acquires Charles Park in Cambridge for $815 Million
www.bldup.com www.bldup.com

I hope the project ends up including street-level improvements.
 
So this is apparently under construction now. Can't seem to find any plans or meeting summaries explaining exactly what the conversion entails, but I did hear rumors that they're adding a few extra floors.
 
sm89 said:
So this is apparently under construction now. Can't seem to find any plans or meeting summaries explaining exactly what the conversion entails, but I did hear rumors that they're adding a few extra floors.
Click to expand...

There's definitely some work going on on-site, but I too have not seen any documentation via City of Cambridge. They probably just have an interior demo permit now. Based on the supposed scope of this, I'd guess a special permit filing with designs, etc, is forthcoming.
 
A few construction photos from the weekend (2/20). The photos don't capture it but this building is pretty much fully gutted (except for the dentist office and restaurant). They do seem to be adding a vertical addition as @sm89 overheard. (could be wrong, but it seems more substantial than just a mech. penthouse, especially based on a large shipment of heavy-duty structural steel on site).

arcp-1.jpg

arcp-2.jpg

arcp-3.jpg
 
Sigh. Special permit amendment app just dropped, and it's a big disappointment. Massive mechanical penthouses and no significant ground level improvements.
www.cambridgema.gov

PB-065

Special Permit Application
www.cambridgema.gov www.cambridgema.gov

cp_lab-1.png


Per cover letter, "bike storage, shower and fitness rooms" are the ground level improvements. There used to be a coffee shop on the 1st street side. I shouldn't have let myself be hopeful that Cambridge would get the street level activation piece right (then again, the Board could still reject this. Planning board meeting is on March 1st)
 
bigpicture7 said:
Sigh. Special permit amendment app just dropped, and it's a big disappointment. Massive mechanical penthouses and no significant ground level improvements.
www.cambridgema.gov

PB-065

Special Permit Application
www.cambridgema.gov www.cambridgema.gov

View attachment 21695

Per cover letter, "bike storage, shower and fitness rooms" are the ground level improvements. There used to be a coffee shop on the 1st street side. I shouldn't have let myself be hopeful that Cambridge would get the street level activation piece right (then again, the Board could still reject this. Planning board meeting is on March 1st)
Click to expand...

It's what we all expected, no?
 
Cambridge gonna Cambridge. Remember how there's next to no ground level activation at Alewife? Or the bizarre push for the ground level retail in Cambridge Crossing to be in separate pavilions? It's all gotta be part of someone's master plan instead of, you know, worldwide traditional architecture.
 
curcuas said:
Cambridge gonna Cambridge. Remember how there's next to no ground level activation at Alewife? Or the bizarre push for the ground level retail in Cambridge Crossing to be in separate pavilions? It's all gotta be part of someone's master plan instead of, you know, worldwide traditional architecture.
Click to expand...
​
Sure, it's that...but also worse than that. It turns out that this specific PUD did have a substantial ground floor retail / active use requirement along First Street (dating to the late '80s when this block was redeveloped). Public records show that the owners (circa 2003) petitioned to have the retail requirement removed back then and it got approved:
​
The Board finds that the request to delete the retail requirement in Special Permit #65 is a Minor Amendment and that the elimination of the retail requirement is reasonable. The history of such requirements at this location and elsewhere in East Cambridge where similar requirements have been imposed suggests that retail space is difficult to lease and that the result is often vacant space that has a negative impact on the character of abutting streets. The Cambridgeside Galleria mall appears to have a powerful and negative impact on the viability of such small retail spaces in its neighborhood. The Board finds that while retail use would still be permitted...and is still encouraged...it should no longer be required.
Click to expand...

But, oh, the irony. Cambridgeside has since been making the case (and getting approval) to substantially downscale it's mall presence in exchange for building labs along First St., AND, has had to make First Street activation (via storefronts, etc) in those new lab structures a key element of compliance with Cambridge's supposed contemporary mixed use strategy.

Back in the early 2000s, the city basically made no strategic or policy effort to help mom & pop storefronts, instead just succumbed to a so-called inevitable domination of the mall. Meanwhile, this obsolete ground floor activation waiver is still in place from 2003, so these current developers (Alexandria) seem to think they are not under obligation to do anything with the street level. Meanwhile the Cambridgeside folks building new buildings next door are (seemingly) obliged to.

C'mon Cambridge, don't just accept a lousy public realm because it's hard. In that case, what's the point of planning boards?
 
So, I walk by here all the time and couldn't help but notice that the progress seemed to visibly stop several weeks ago. They had framed the roof additions and had just begun cladding them, and then basically no visible progress since.

I did a quick search and was astounded at what came up via the City's Development Log:

Development Log Current Edition 2022 Q2 | Open Data | City of Cambridge

data.cambridgema.gov data.cambridgema.gov

Under 1 Rogers St / Charles Park Lab Conversion, in the "Notes" field:
Work paused to incorporate urban design review
Click to expand...


No idea what this will yield, but fascinating nonetheless
 
Some updates on this one (5/25). Alexandria appears to have re-branded this as 140 First Street.

BTW, they did a fantastic job re-plastering that ceiling like it was 1987 (the entire thing was ripped out and put back, yet it looks identical)
ocp-2-1.jpg

ocp-2-2.jpg


Yes, this roof is now jam-packed; this side without the mech. cladding yet...
ocp-2-3.jpg

And this side with it (lipstick on a.....):
ocp-2-4.jpg
 
Not that anyone was on the edge of their seat for this...but here's a final walk-around/update on this one. It appears there are at least a couple of lab tenants operating out of here now (via google maps and the fact that at least some of the lab benches look occupied inside): These folks and these folks.

Here's how it came out (from 4/20):

140f-33-1.jpg

140f-33-2.jpg

140f-33-3.jpg

140f-33-4.jpg

140f-33-5.jpg
 
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