The Engine (MIT) | 730-750 Main Street | Cambridge

Arlington said:
Cambridge vs Boston's idea of their urban fabric.
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Arlington -- these are not just facadectomies -- there is a lot of the industrial strength of the buildings which has been retained
Many of the kinds of companies to be housed in this complex will be installing machinery not just Gnurds and laptops

for instance a company such as Commonwealth Fusion Systems, an actual Engine Client --- However as they have serious financing already*1 they can afford their own place nearby on Sidney St.
CFS -- is a good representative of some of the kinds of companies that could be Engine-bound as the new facility is completed
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*1
Commonwealth Fusion Systems Raises $84 Million in A2 Round
Cambridge, MA – May 26, 2020 – Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS), a startup commercializing fusion energy, today announced it has raised $84 million in A2 funding, bringing the company’s total funding to more than $200 million. The A2 round was led by Temasek with participation from new investors Equinor and Devonshire Investors, the private equity group affiliated with FMR LLC, the parent company of Fidelity Investments, as well as current investors Breakthrough Energy Ventures, The Engine, ENI Next LLC, Future Ventures, Hostplus, Khosla Ventures, Moore Strategic Ventures, Safar Partners LLC, Schooner Capital, Starlight Ventures, and others committed to accelerating the path towards commercial fusion energy.
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Some of these old industrial structures certainly have very robust bones that are being retained in this development. However, the middle building in the row of three is a total facadectomy, and the inbound-most building is a partial facadectomy. The middle building was hollowed out such that only the exterior brickwork remained, there are zero floors, columns, or roof remaining (if you scroll up, this will be apparent). Based on renders, I suspect part of this is for floor level realignment, as well as to create a street-level floor (the existing structures did not have a floor at street level, but it's apparent that some street-level floor will exist in the new configuration).
 
bigpicture7 said:
Some of these old industrial structures certainly have very robust bones that are being retained in this development. However, the middle building in the row of three is a total facadectomy, and the inbound-most building is a partial facadectomy. The middle building was hollowed out such that only the exterior brickwork remained, there are zero floors, columns, or roof remaining (if you scroll up, this will be apparent). Based on renders, I suspect part of this is for floor level realignment, as well as to create a street-level floor (the existing structures did not have a floor at street level, but it's apparent that some street-level floor will exist in the new configuration).
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BigPicture -- you are right about those points
from what I understand -- There were some issues which arose between the plans and the implementation as well which in turn led to more demo and construction than reuse as originally intended
There is also MIT's desire to not change the look too much for the folks living in Cambridge Housing across Main St.

When all is said and done [in a couple of years] there will be a major facility sitting just outside KSq --- a home where the non-bio/pharma industries of the future can develop without a 24 month timetable
Some might compare it to the legendary Building 20 where the structure is very sound and the interior walls, floors and ceilings can be "adjusted as needed" sometimes with a saw and sometimes with a jack hammer
and where entire technologies can be created and implemented

e.g.

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lexicon506 said:
No it's more for-profit developers vs. non-profit institutions. The two have a differing set of values.
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Nah, MIT would tear down old buildings in a heartbeat without pressure from the community if they felt it made financial or campus planning sense. See: Bexley, Eastgate, Cyclotron, Rinaldi Tile Building...I'd say some of those were not worth saving but it's also not like these buildings are particular winners either.
 
Gameguy326 said:
Nah, MIT would tear down old buildings in a heartbeat without pressure from the community if they felt it made financial or campus planning sense. See: Bexley, Eastgate, Cyclotron, Rinaldi Tile Building...I'd say some of those were not worth saving but it's also not like these buildings are particular winners either.
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Gameguy -- as they say "it complicated"
Anything on the MIT campus or on its edge is certainly governed by one set of rules -- principally does it meet MIT's internal needs over the long-haul [MIT builds on the campus for a 50 year or more time frame -- the main "tute" having just crested 100 years

Anything built on MIT investment land such as the Volpe site is built for raising money for MIT with MIT acting as a real estate developer and as such it has to relate more with Cambridge just as Boston Properties or Alexandria would have to do on the same property -- of course underlying the building is land that MIT wont part with and may want eventually to use for campus purposes

The Engine is a bit of a hybrid -- it is both an MIT function although off the campus [and hence being constructed for long haul] and it is also an investment vehicle through the incubator / accelerator function as MIT funds are directly tied-up in many of the portfolio companies -- Therefore as a commercial venture it is subject to the vagaries of Cambridge politics
the final complication for the Engine is that it sits directly across the street from a Cambridge Housing Authority development which is filled with politically active constituents of the Cambridge politicos

So when you put all of that in the pot and stir -- you get what it taking shape on Main Street -- they are spending a lot more on the "looks" than they spent in renovating several similar vintage buildings into labs on Albany Street -- having spent quite a few days / nights / weekends in a couple of those buildings on Albany - -suffice it say that MIT didn't spend a dime if a nickel would scrape by
 
Does anyone know what's happening next to the candy factory next door? There seems to be some new construction there too.
 
Gameguy326 said:
Wow. Here I was thinking that this was a prime business to sell property in a really desirable area. I thought MIT would make a play at this. But apparently, Big Candy is roaring back.
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I know, kind of a bummer. However, we're really only talking about a narrow strip of land next to their existing factory. What I'm more interested in is UHaul's surface lot next door. One would think that a UHaul vehicle storage facility could be placed underground to allow that larger lot to be built upon.
 
Blackbird said:
Actual quote from that document, from the Context and Urban Design slide:

"Parking lots intersperse the buildings, melding together in an urban fabric."

🤣
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LOL, sometimes I wish we could just cut the BS out of this process and tell things like they are: "Candy company that's been here for a hundred years needs a blank gray box to hold a power transformer and loading dock, please and thank you"
 
bigpicture7 said:
I know, kind of a bummer. However, we're really only talking about a narrow strip of land next to their existing factory. What I'm more interested in is UHaul's surface lot next door. One would think that a UHaul vehicle storage facility could be placed underground to allow that larger lot to be built upon.
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I'd expect rather that UHaul would just relocate somewhere else or get rid of that location. That land is so valuable and a Uhaul location could be placed almost anywhere.
 
Gameguy326 said:
Wow. Here I was thinking that this was a prime business to sell property in a really desirable area. I thought MIT would make a play at this. But apparently, Big Candy is roaring back.
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This expansion was mostly a consequence of MIT not renewing Tootsie's lease on the parking lot on the corner of Windsor and State streets. They had to find a new spot for their loading dock. Not sure what MIT plans to do with that lot instead though...
 
According to the deeds, UHaul acquired it in 1976. They most recently mortgaged it for $35 million.

Frankly, I am rather surprised that MIT has not acquired it some time in the past 40 years.
 
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