Kendall Common Parcel C1 (née Volpe Center) | 25 Broadway | Kendall Square | Cambridge

[bigpicture7]

Cambridge Special Permits site just posted new plans for the building on parcel C1 (25 Broadway)

PB368

special permit application

www.cambridgema.gov

^Above are all from within the following publicly posted file, which includes many more renders:
PB368 Design Review 25 Broadway & Third Street Park – Part 1

 

[DZH22]

PB368 Design Review 25 Broadway & Third Street Park – Part 1

It's 304', with diagrams starting on page 36 of the link. That's about 1 office floor taller than the majority of Kendall's current plateau.

 

[stick n move]

Looks pretty good imo.

 

[DAVE]

Looks kinda like a blend of every other midrise in the area

 

[as02143]

Looks kinda like a blend of every other midrise in the area

I was thinking the same thing. Elkus Manfredi appears to be the designer, i think they did Soma and Noma too?

 

[resisttheist]

The architects are NBBJ & D/R/E/A/M Collaborative as published in the special permits design review filing.

 

[#bancars]

Just FYI--there's a design review meeting hosted by MIT for this project on 9/20 at 6:30 PM.

 

[bigpicture7]

Just FYI--there's a design review meeting hosted by MIT for this project on 9/20 at 6:30 PM.

The video from this design review meeting, with commentary from the architects, has been posted (see first link here):

Volpe Center Redevelopment | Volpe MIT

MIT aims to create a dynamic mixed-use center in Kendall Square through this historic opportunity to redevelop the Volpe center parcel.

volpe.mit.edu

 

[Equilibria]

The video from this design review meeting, with commentary from the architects, has been posted (see first link here):

Volpe Center Redevelopment | Volpe MIT

MIT aims to create a dynamic mixed-use center in Kendall Square through this historic opportunity to redevelop the Volpe center parcel.

volpe.mit.edu

One surprising comment here was that MITIMCO needs to "wait until we finalize our purchase with the Federal Government" to begin any work on-site. They didn't finalize that before they built the New Volpe?

Estimate was "some work" within a year.

 

[bigpicture7]

One surprising comment here was that MITIMCO needs to "wait until we finalize our purchase with the Federal Government" to begin any work on-site. They didn't finalize that before they built the New Volpe?

Estimate was "some work" within a year.

See the "Amendment 2" document (dated 4/28/23) here. Looks like a construction start by/before Sept 28, 2024 ("Given that...MIT has not yet received title to the land"):

PB368

special permit application

www.cambridgema.gov

Sounds like a pain in the...

 

[bigpicture7]

I was thinking the same thing. Elkus Manfredi appears to be the designer, i think they did Soma and Noma too?

Actually MITIMCo has been pretty good about using a range of architects across the SoMa, NoMa, Volpe projects. Yes, there's a dose of Elkus, but also Weiss/Manfredi (SoMa Site 5), Perkins + Will (SoMa Site 3), NADAAA (SoMa Site 4), Touloukian/Touloukian (SoMa Site 6; yet unbuilt), and NBBJ + D/R/E/A/M (this one)

 

[Equilibria]

See the "Amendment 2" document (dated 4/28/23) here. Looks like a construction start by/before Sept 28, 2024 ("Given that...MIT has not yet received title to the land"):

PB368

special permit application

www.cambridgema.gov

Sounds like a pain in the...

So is the implication then that they would build both C1 and C3 simultaneously, since they'll go through design review before either can start?

 

[bigpicture7]

So is the implication then that they would build both C1 and C3 simultaneously, since they'll go through design review before either can start?

Yes, the most recent phasing proposal (5/1/23) on that website seems to imply that C1 and C3 will both go through design review, and both will commence together, with the C1 area, once cleared, being a staging/lay-down area, C3 will then finish first, and then C1 will finish. The site in the middle (C2) is what will lag them both. That's how I interpret it anyway.

 

[Equilibria]

This got partial approval... the building was fine but folks are unhappy with the pavilion taking up part of the planned open space.

Park pavilion may decrease open space at Volpe, earning pause as 16 stories of offices win an okay - Cambridge Day

Issues about open space continue to hold back the 14-acre Volpe project in Cambridge’s Kendall Square, where neighbors once expected a 7.5-acre central park.

www.cambridgeday.com

 

[#bancars]

This got partial approval... the building was fine but folks are unhappy with the pavilion taking up part of the planned open space.

Park pavilion may decrease open space at Volpe, earning pause as 16 stories of offices win an okay - Cambridge Day

Issues about open space continue to hold back the 14-acre Volpe project in Cambridge’s Kendall Square, where neighbors once expected a 7.5-acre central park.

www.cambridgeday.com

only two public commenters at the meeting!

 

[RandomWalk]

Folks are probably focused on the City Council elections.

 

[stick n move]

When to they plan on deconstructing the old volpe building? I figured they would have started after the new building opened.

 

[Equilibria]

When to they plan on deconstructing the old volpe building? I figured they would have started after the new building opened.

See the "Amendment 2" document (dated 4/28/23) here. Looks like a construction start by/before Sept 28, 2024 ("Given that...MIT has not yet received title to the land"):

PB368

special permit application

www.cambridgema.gov

Sounds like a pain in the...

 

[#bancars]

Current view of this parcel from above (11.11.23). The sooner this waste of space gets built on, the better!

 

[HarvardP]

It's halfway to a lovely little park already, just rip out that parking lot, build an over-the-top jungle gym and voila.