Residential/Retail Development | 2400 Mass Ave | Cambridge

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bigpicture7

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I believe we've discussed early proposals for this in infill/small project thread. Formal proposal has now posted to the Special Permits site in Cambridge:
www.cambridgema.gov

PB-403

special permit application
www.cambridgema.gov www.cambridgema.gov

24ma-1-1.png

24ma-1-2.png

24ma-1-3.png

See "Application Graphics" package for further renders:
PB403 Application – Graphics
 
Mucky Kids has a sign posted in their window about their move to Arlington center this month.

Edit: Backy Artists was also using their location and has moved to Arlington. Mucky Kids is closing this month.
 
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It helps color code the development projects: New projects are sage green. Flips are black/white/gray.
 
Stlin said:
I live immediately across the street from this site so it'll be annoying personally, but I'll try and keep folks updated on this!
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I used to live at 2433 Mass Ave, diagonally across Mass Ave from this project, back in the late 1960s on the 3rd floor of this building, since replaced by a new apartment building:

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Is this the largest proposed multi-family development in Cambridge rn that isn't otherwise part of a larger master plan? E.g. Alewife, CX, Volpe...?

Also, nearly $10K for the special permit fee, oof:

1718489388293.png
 
The corrugated metal cladding is distinctive for the area. It should break up the standard masonry or Hardie board of the recent developments. I predict the neighbors will complain that it looks like a stack of shipping containers.
 
Charlie_mta said:
It looks like the Habitat complex at the 1967 Montreal World's Fair:

View attachment 51504
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I rather thought they were going for BIG's Mountain Dwelling.
1000034028.jpg


RandomWalk said:
The corrugated metal cladding is distinctive for the area. It should break up the standard masonry or Hardie board of the recent developments. I predict the neighbors will complain that it looks like a stack of shipping containers.
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You're absolutely right - I've previously said that to my neighbors. :LOL: But seriously, while I do like the massing, when combined with a uniform corrugated metal finish it is uncanny. Any other cladding scheme probably wouldn't immediately draw that comparison. Frankly, I'm hoping for less of it, and more of the wood effect - While I'm cautiously optimistic, I don't want to feel like I'm living next to Conley right after an Evergreen ship made port.
 
Equilibria said:
I could swear we discussed this before...

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The thread we have going is here; I think we'd also discussed it prior to that in infill/small projects before it was formalized
Residential/Retail Development | 2400 Mass Ave | Cambridge

@vanshnookenraggen or @BeeLine , could you possibly merge Equilibria's excellent set of render images, above, into the existing thread and retire this one?
 
I searched every which way I could think of and still missed it. Yes, please merge.
 
bigpicture7 said:
The thread we have going is here; I think we'd also discussed it prior to that in infill/small projects before it was formalized
Residential/Retail Development | 2400 Mass Ave | Cambridge

@vanshnookenraggen or @BeeLine , could you possibly merge Equilibria's excellent set of render images, above, into the existing thread and retire this one?
Click to expand...

Dm someone directly asking or else it gets missed unfortunately, we have a bunch of duplicate threads now for this reason.

Equilibria said:
I searched every which way I could think of and still missed it. Yes, please merge.
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I’m not sure if you tried this, but for some reason the search here has been sucking for a while so if I cant find something here I type its name on google followed by archboston and it usually comes up.
 
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Couple new angles on cambridge day.

Neighbors and Planning Board are as pleased with North Cambridge project as its developers​

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“I don’t think in all of the years that I’ve been on the board that I’ve seen such a great collaboration between the developer team, the neighborhood and the city,” board chair Mary Flynn said before a vote. The board approved the project as a whole and left follow-up detail work to staff.”

“Residents will own their homes, and “I haven’t seen too many ownership products come down the line,” said Patrick Barrett, a lawyer representing North Cambridge Partners LLC, to the board. “Part of why we brought this before you is that the need for housing in Cambridge is very significant.”

While a unit mix has yet to be determined, developers are interested in having some larger homes that would appeal to families, according to a presentation….”

https://www.cambridgeday.com/2024/0...th-north-cambridge-project-as-its-developers/
 
#bancars said:
Apparently this project is having trouble securing financing, and the developer has identified Cambridge's 20 percent IDP as the primary culprit:

www.bostonglobe.com

‘The numbers should work, and they just don’t’: Is Cambridge’s affordable housing rule backfiring? - The Boston Globe

Housing is so expensive to build right now that some developers say the city's requirement that 20 percent of units be aside at below-market rents is making otherwise profitable projects too costly.
www.bostonglobe.com www.bostonglobe.com
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No matter how many times it is explained to local governments that inclusionary zoning does not work at 20% they just keep doing it. At this point advocating for this policy is akin to being a flat earther. It does not work mathematically and has failed in every city across the country that has implemented it. Local politicians should be asked over and over: why are you proposing and/or in favor of a policy that does the opposite of what you're intending?
 
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