Wow, only Cambridge would be dumb enough to go tall with 50's style towers in a park. Kendall square deserves better.
Better to put the tall on the North side of the parcel to reduce shadows on the center. Nice to see some massing though.
whighlander, from Town-Gown, for Cambridge only
Undergraduates in Institute-approved housing 3543 (3500-3600 in 10 years)
Undergraduates in off-campus housing owned and managed by MIT 0
Undergraduates in off-campus, non-MIT housing 77
Graduates in Institute-approved housing 2384 (2800-3000 in 10 years)
Graduates in off-campus housing owned and managed by MIT 44
Graduates in off-campus, non-MIT housing 1876
My point about non-profits not building non-university residential applied only to residential housing. What did Harvard do in Barry's Corner? It sold off (swapped) large tracts of land to 'private' developers to build residential, rentals and condos. Did it part with the commercial properties along Western Ave. for which it receives rent?
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MIT was not selected because its proposal envisioned a 1,000 foot tower, or even a 500' tower. MIT is into this parcel for north of $300 million, before it even puts up a building of its own. Assuming it gets seven buildable acres when all is said and done, that's over $40 million an acre in sunk costs. Affordable housing becomes unaffordable, and MIT is not housing graduates and post docs on land that costs that much.
we manage a portfolio of real estate in Cambridge around the MIT campus. Because MIT owns a critical mass of land holdings in Cambridge and is a large driver of demand for real estate space, we have advantages in this arena that third parties cannot match. In this particular circumstance, it also is important for MIT to take direct control of these investments because our goal is not simply to seek the highest financial returns with the properties.
While it is important for a real estate project to be financially viable for it to be sustainable, we also want to attract innovative companies to the Cambridge area and to create a lively interactive environment that benefits local residents, local businesses and the MIT community.
Lincoln Laboratory Program Funding,
by Mission Area (in Millions),*
Fiscal Year 2015
Total: $937
Lincoln Lab
Research Expenditures,
by Primary Sponsor (in Millions)*
Fiscal Year 2015
Total: $696.89
MIT on Campus
I sent a picture of the Shard, introduced the idea of mix-used space (roof deck, high floor dining & bar, lecture halls, open work space, office space & retail) and pounded the fact that with views, beauty and uniqueness (as a symbol of Kendall & innovation) this would be an easy sell and the best decision they've ever made.
I want to make fun of the Shard suggestion, but an MIT version of the Cathedral of Learning at 400' or so could be pretty cool.
One unrelated question, while this thread is bumped - why does DoT NEED a new building, anyway? What is wrong with renovating the current one and the developers building around it?
No update, but I am an E.Cambridge resident and sent a detailed email to the Volpe Working Group about how part of this parcel needs to reach 400'-450', face across the river, and be iconic.
I sent a picture of the Shard, introduced the idea of mix-used space.....
What are your thoughts?