Constellation Center | 43 Thorndike St | East Cambridge

JumboBuc said:
SOLD, finally.

Apparently, 1 acre in Kendall = $50.5 million. But it's a disgrace that property taxes weren't and capital gains taxes won't be paid on that.
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I would like to see them actually fund some sort of public art center or whatever the plan was, via a giant mixed-use tower on top. It could Cambridge's version of the Hancock.
 
JumboBuc said:
SOLD, finally.

Apparently, 1 acre in Kendall = $50.5 million. But it's a disgrace that property taxes weren't and capital gains taxes won't be paid on that.
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And by the name of the new owner, I think it's safe to assume they intend to build more lab space in this location.
 
Mike02125 said:
You can download the development presentation here (no fun renderings though): https://www.canaldistrictkendall.com

More detailed reporting from last night here: http://www.cambridgeday.com/2019/06...-seeks-ideas-for-former-constellation-center/

It seems the response from always-prickly Cambridge has been positive. The area around the Canal should be the most lively part of Kendall, especially once MIT finishes their work facing Watermark's restaurant row - all centered on the Broad Canal.
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Formerly known as Kendall Square, Canal District Kendall...
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Umm.... what? (FWIW, I know they mean only their parcels, but that's pompous AF)
 
From the Globe article,

> for zoning, there will be cultural / entertainment venue(s) on the lowest floors. Discussions underway on what the community wants.

> most interesting part of the article is that negotiations are underway with Eversource to relocate its gas transfer station. This:

https://goo.gl/maps/FEbWusvcN378hh167

The Globe article suggests the Eversource parcel is about 5-7,000 sq ft. However, assessors database indicates it is 14,000 sq ft. The Constellation lot is 36,000 sq ft.

Assuming Eversource moves, that's 50,000 sq ft, and I assume two buildings then, rather than one.

Biomed paid $50 million for Constellation land; maybe another $50 million for the Eversource land and the relocation costs; plus the cost of the cultural venue(s). Not going to build residential with that magnitude of sunk cost.
 
Equilibria said:
Umm.... what? (FWIW, I know they mean only their parcels, but that's pompous AF)
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You're right - and they agree with you! The previous developers named their parcels "Kendall Square" which is the root of all the confusion. So the private-development previously known as Kendall Square at Kendall Square is now renamed.

The whole thing was a total clusterfuck. Kendall Square at Kendall Square had to be the most bizarre name ever for any real estate development.
 
briv said:
That interview wasn't very encouraging. I got the impression that this guy really doesn't have a clue how to get this project built.

What makes this so unfortunate are the decisions that have been made based on the assumption that Constellation Center was a sure thing -- the article mentions that this project contributed to the Gaiety's demolition and led MIT to defer from building its own potentially redundant venues. It's also quite sad to see so many good institutions and organizations hinging their futures on what seems to be a single man's unrealistic fantasy.

Following this project's lack of progress has also made me appreciate how lucky we are that the ICA was selected over this project to build on the Fan Pier culture parcel.

That said, I really do hope he ultimately pulls this off. If it turns out even half as good as he's been promising, it could single-handedly transform Kendall Square overnight.
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From up-thread... 2009 :lol:.


Hopefully, the fact that Constellation Center is now officially kaput, MIT does now go ahead and develops its own performance space. It could be awesome.
 
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Excited about the development if and only if it emphasizes arts and community spaces front and center. I'd like to see, for instance, the first five stories of any development be for that. Heck, it would even be interesting if they partnered with the guy to even build something like the Constellation Center here.
 
briv said:
From up-thread... 2009 :lol:.


Hopefully, the fact that Constellation Center is now officially kaput, MIT does now go ahead and develops its own performance space. It could be awesome.
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From what I picked up at various events and misc conversations during my recent class reunion :

Theater Arts and Music both want spaces and they are in the pipeline

They are most likely to be separate and quite small in scale [size of Kresge Little Theater or a bit bigger -- possibly several small boxes as well and to be located West of Mass Ave

MIT has no plans for a Symphony Hall
 
whighlander said:
From what I picked up at various events and misc conversations during my recent class reunion :

Theater Arts and Music both want spaces and they are in the pipeline

They are most likely to be separate and quite small in scale [size of Kresge Little Theater or a bit bigger -- possibly several small boxes as well and to be located West of Mass Ave

MIT has no plans for a Symphony Hall
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The new Theater Arts building has already been built:

http://capitalprojects.mit.edu/projects/theater-arts-building-w97

The new Music building is in planning and will be built next to Kresge:

http://capitalprojects.mit.edu/projects/music-building

I do not trust MIT on public arts spaces. The Kendall Square Initiative was supposed to have lots of planning for arts involved in the green space created, but that kept getting scaled back and back and back and...good luck. I doubt anything much arts-wise will show up there at all.
 
Gameguy326 said:
I do not trust MIT on public arts spaces. The Kendall Square Initiative was supposed to have lots of planning for arts involved in the green space created, but that kept getting scaled back and back and back and...good luck. I doubt anything much arts-wise will show up there at all.
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It did? I've been following this from the beginning and I don't think it's changed much. They promised a green space behind the buildings on Main, a plaza around the MBTA headhouse, and new MIT museum as "cultural" space. They're building all of that, right?
 
www.cambridgeday.com

Plans for former Constellation Center location will be shown at Feb. 27 meeting, BioMed says - Cambridge Day

Cambridge has been waiting since 1999 to find out what’s going to fill 585 Third St., the gravel pit once expected to be the Constellation Center. The space's next name, design and purpose is set to be revealed at a community meeting Feb. 27.
www.cambridgeday.com www.cambridgeday.com

I'm going to go ahead and guess that it's a 250-foot lab building with some little handouts on the ground floor:

The company has committed to community and arts uses by providing space for the CultureHouse activity popup; hosting dance in unexpected spaces; bringing in muralists; and hosting quirkily curated small-vendor markets.
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They should go taller than the Hancock, right here. Time for Cambridge to show some 21st century guts! No real FAA issues, shadow on the parks, chapter 91, adjacent historical neighborhoods, or any other litany of problems I can think of that plague so many other sites. So... let's say 850' residential with a major public component on the bottom 5-6 levels, plus an observation deck at the top!
 
DZH22 said:
They should go taller than the Hancock, right here. Time for Cambridge to show some 21st century guts! No real FAA issues, shadow on the parks, chapter 91, adjacent historical neighborhoods, or any other litany of problems I can think of that plague so many other sites. So... let's say 850' residential with a major public component on the bottom 5-6 levels, plus an observation deck at the top!
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Spot On! Observation Deck would be KILLER here. The views would be bloody marvelous. And, I see no reason why this shouldn't go 500ft or higher in all honesty.

But yeah, in all reality it will be a 250ft glass lab building with a coffee shop at the base.
 
DZH22 said:
They should go taller than the Hancock, right here. Time for Cambridge to show some 21st century guts! No real FAA issues, shadow on the parks, chapter 91, adjacent historical neighborhoods, or any other litany of problems I can think of that plague so many other sites. So... let's say 850' residential with a major public component on the bottom 5-6 levels, plus an observation deck at the top!
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I'm sure the people of Cambridge will sign off on this preemptively
 
Suffolk 83 said:
I'm sure the people of Cambridge will sign off on this preemptively
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It's always a handful of old retired people screaming as if they own the whole city. The meetings are typically when the rest of us are at work. I think most people in the city would be perfectly fine with a couple of taller buildings in Kendall. I hear from totally random people all the time how they lament that Boston will never be able to construct a supertall. Most people don't seem to have strong opinions either way, but would lean more towards "that's pretty cool" than towards the hysteria of the vocal NIMBY crowd.
 
DZH22 said:
They should go taller than the Hancock, right here. Time for Cambridge to show some 21st century guts! No real FAA issues, shadow on the parks, chapter 91, adjacent historical neighborhoods, or any other litany of problems I can think of that plague so many other sites. So... let's say 850' residential with a major public component on the bottom 5-6 levels, plus an observation deck at the top!
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This is a lab developer, so... no.
 
I think the plan will also involve the (expensive) relocation of the gas infrastructure. That may eat up the community benefits.
 
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