West Cambridge / Alewife Area Infill & Small Developments

thepianoperson said:
The Alewife area is so frustrating to me because it has plenty of housing and office space being built, is near a rapid transit station, is maybe the biggest hub for bike trails in the whole state, has multiple grocery stores right there, and has plenty of easy access to nature, but then there’s Alewife Brook Parkway almost single-handedly ruining all that potential.
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I lived in the Alewife area for a year or so, in one of those big apartment complexes. I moved away (back to S Medford), partially because the area felt weird. A friend referred to the area once as "the uncanny valley", which had me in stitches, because it's true.

ABP was certainly a factor but it was not the only culprit. I'd also indict:

* Lack of retail/coffee/restaurants among the acres and acres of apartment buildings and offices. Thank God for Revival Cafe.
* Apocalyptic-looking boarded-up storefronts at Alewife Station.
* Jerry's Pond, this big fenced off thing filled with litter that cuts you off from the rec fields.
* No separation between sidewalk and bike paths over the Fitchburg line.
* Weird physical division between the haves (luxury apartments) and have-nots (Rindge towers), which I'm happy to see that this new development will buck.
* Huge parking lots around Summer Shack and Fresh Pond Mall.

Fortunately, Cambridge seems to understand all these problems and can see the area's potential: https://www.cambridgema.gov/news/detail?path=/sitecore/content/home/CDD/News/2019/10/alewifeplan
 
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kdmc said:
I lived in the Alewife area for a year or so, in one of those big apartment complexes. I moved away (back to S Medford), partially because the area felt weird. A friend referred to the area once as "the uncanny valley", which had me in stitches, because it's true.

ABP was certainly a factor but it was not the only culprit. I'd also indict:

* Lack of retail/coffee/restaurants among the acres and acres of apartment buildings and offices. Thank God for Revival Cafe.
* Apocalyptic-looking boarded-up storefronts at Alewife Station.
* Jerry's Pond, this big fenced off thing filled with litter that cuts you off from the rec fields.
* No separation between sidewalk and bike paths over the Fitchburg line.
* Weird physical division between the haves (luxury apartments) and have-nots (Rindge towers), which I'm happy to see that this new development will buck.
* Huge parking lots around Summer Shack and Fresh Pond Mall.

Fortunately, Cambridge seems to understand all these problems and can see the area's potential: https://www.cambridgema.gov/news/detail?path=/sitecore/content/home/CDD/News/2019/10/alewifeplan
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The Alewife area has always been a place way out there. I grew up right next to it (off Rindge Ave) in the 1950s and 60s, and Alewife always struck me as a wide open vista to lands and worlds beyond, like a prairie of Nebraska with the arrow-straight railways through it receding far into the distance, the lone Buddliner rail cars passing by to places far away. It's long history is peculiar: clay pits and brick yards in the 1800s and early 1900s, and chemical plants and toxic waste ponds in the 1900s. Where Fresh Pond shopping Center is now, I remember a sizeable brilliant green chemical waste pond until about 1963. Where Rindge Towers is now, I recall brilliantly white colored chemical waste ponds. Jerry's Pit (Pond) was where I swam every summer until the pool at Rindge Field was built around 1960. The old Dewey and Almy (later WR Grace) plant allegedly disposed of some of their toxic chemicals into it. So, the Alewife area has a motley history as a backwater mishmash of undesirable uses. But to me, much of it was, and still is, a beautiful, open natural area that I've always been fond of.

It was unfortunate the State widened the Concord Turnpike (Rte 2) in the 1960s into an 8-lane expressway, dead-ending at Alewife and dumping onto a 4-lane parkway, laying the assurance of permanent traffic gridlock. Alewife has certainly suffered from shortsighted mistakes like that, and a persistent lack of a clear plan or vision. Hopefully this new plan by the City of Cambridge will help change some of that.
 
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Charlie_mta said:
Looking at the preliminary design, my feeling is its too wild looking for the neighborhood. Something with some context sensitivity would work better, IMO. Again, maybe it's my nostalgia for the old neighborhood at work here, but it sure seems extremely out of place in its preliminary design.
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I agree, feels gimicky but then they didnt fully commit to the gimmick and added other random elements. I feel like modernism in a historic neighborhood is only good if its really good. That said, its not bad and its nice many units get an outdoor space.
 
Apologies if this has already been posted/is the wrong thread, but didn't find anything in search. I recently stumbled across this feasibility study for the Rindge-Danehy connection across the Fitchburg Line tracks: CambridgeMA.gov/FitchburgCrossing

Last September, the city submitted an application to USDOT's Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhoods grant program for the design of an overpass. If timeline is similar to the previous round, recipients should be announced really soon?

There were 2 public meetings for the feasibility study last summer and fall. Meeting attendees were overwhelmingly in favor of an underpass similar to the nearby Yerxa Rd underpass, rather than a bridge, but the project team determined that was not feasible. One attendee mentioned that one of the tracks is an obsolete spur and floated the idea that using some of that space could open up more design options/make an underpass work. However, seems like this is a hard no for the MBTA. I don't know anything about rail but assuming there's future expansions planned here? Staff also said that even they were allowed to use some of the MBTA ROW, an awkwardly located box culvert on the north side and concerns about excavating by the landfill (contamination, stability, methane leaks) still make an underpass undesirable.

While I also would prefer an underpass like the one at Yerxa Rd, this makes sense given the city is constrained to the small bits of land they own: a thin 14' wide strip behind Brickworks + the former railroad corridor that will become the Danehy-New Street path. Even the overpass options are awkward to fit:
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Also somewhat relevant, there is the Cambridge Redevelopment Authority's Rindge Avenue Community Connectivity project, though the last update there appears to be this 2021 report: https://www.cambridgeredevelopment.org/rindgeconnectivity-2021
 
pfd12 said:
Apologies if this has already been posted/is the wrong thread, but didn't find anything in search. I recently stumbled across this feasibility study for the Rindge-Danehy connection across the Fitchburg Line tracks: CambridgeMA.gov/FitchburgCrossing

Last September, the city submitted an application to USDOT's Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhoods grant program for the design of an overpass. If timeline is similar to the previous round, recipients should be announced really soon?

There were 2 public meetings for the feasibility study last summer and fall. Meeting attendees were overwhelmingly in favor of an underpass similar to the nearby Yerxa Rd underpass, rather than a bridge, but the project team determined that was not feasible. One attendee mentioned that one of the tracks is an obsolete spur and floated the idea that using some of that space could open up more design options/make an underpass work. However, seems like this is a hard no for the MBTA. I don't know anything about rail but assuming there's future expansions planned here? Staff also said that even they were allowed to use some of the MBTA ROW, an awkwardly located box culvert on the north side and concerns about excavating by the landfill (contamination, stability, methane leaks) still make an underpass undesirable.

While I also would prefer an underpass like the one at Yerxa Rd, this makes sense given the city is constrained to the small bits of land they own: a thin 14' wide strip behind Brickworks + the former railroad corridor that will become the Danehy-New Street path. Even the overpass options are awkward to fit:
View attachment 47704

Also somewhat relevant, there is the Cambridge Redevelopment Authority's Rindge Avenue Community Connectivity project, though the last update there appears to be this 2021 report: https://www.cambridgeredevelopment.org/rindgeconnectivity-2021
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I hate to see these options eat into the historic 4-track rail right-of-way. There will always be a need for at least two tracks for commuter rail/freight, plus the additional two tracks for a future GLX to either Watertown or Belmont/Waltham. As usual for this type of project, this pedestrian crossing and trails proposals fail to address the "futuring" needed for potential transit developments.

As for the question of an underpass vs overpass, I lean more toward an overpass, as an underpass could tend to be a haven for crime. I grew up in Jefferson Park, right near the proposed pedestrian crossing, and even then (60 years ago), I would not have wanted to walk in an enclosed underground walkway with the characters from "the projects" lurking in there. I'm sure it's no better now,
 
Definitely agree that if another GLX is possible, then the ROW shouldn't be touched! I'd seen that mentioned somewhere before but wasn't sure if it was just a pipe dream.

My main gripe with the overpass option is that it requires ~900' of travel (plus a 23' elevation gain, equivalent to climbing a 40-step flight of stairs) to cross a mere 65' gap. It really eats into the distance savings/connectivity improvements a crossing is supposed to bring. For example, the overpass in the above screenshot wouldn't actually shorten the walk to Danehy Park for residents of the first (western-most) Rindge Tower, compared to just using the Alewife Brook Parkway bridge. The middle Rindge Tower sees a tiny benefit of 2 minutes, but the sketchy shortcut with the shopping cart "step" actually still comes out ahead by ~400 feet. If they can attach stairs to the overpass, that could shorten the distance for some, but not for wheelchair users or anyone pushing a stroller/grocery cart etc.

Regarding underpass safety: I've used the Yerxa underpass at all hours and never had issues, though I admit I have no idea how Walden Square compares to the past Jefferson Park in terms of reputation. Seems like the key is having clear sight lines/daylighting. Many of the comments in favor of an underpass were conditional on it being straight to avoid having any blind corners. But again, the space constraints make that impossible here, so I guess it's a moot point.
 
pfd12 said:
There were 2 public meetings for the feasibility study last summer and fall. Meeting attendees were overwhelmingly in favor of an underpass similar to the nearby Yerxa Rd underpass, rather than a bridge, but the project team determined that was not feasible. One attendee mentioned that one of the tracks is an obsolete spur and floated the idea that using some of that space could open up more design options/make an underpass work. However, seems like this is a hard no for the MBTA. I don't know anything about rail but assuming there's future expansions planned here? Staff also said that even they were allowed to use some of the MBTA ROW, an awkwardly located box culvert on the north side and concerns about excavating by the landfill (contamination, stability, methane leaks) still make an underpass undesirable.
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In the short term that disused freight Track 4 siding next to the Mall is the only expansion option for the Alewife Maintenance of Way yard, which is currently at-capacity. The opposite-side siding on the Rindge side of the tracks is usually packed completely full of equipment, especially during the winter construction offseason when those track critters are less often-used. And the T has a shortage of MOW storage across the system, forcing them to make temporary use of all kinds of sidings out in the suburbs where there isn't site security like Alewife (meaning the equipment is always prone to being vandalized). As long as Alewife is the Commuter Rail's HQ for track critter equipment, it's unlikely they'd ever allow even a temporary use of that siding space. Definitely in the far future that's a potential GLX ROW, but even now they have reasons for keeping it sacrosanct.
 

Senior affordable housing project in Cambridge would build space for services on its ground floor​

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“A project to build affordable housing for seniors has been mostly welcomed in early hearings by Cambridge’s Conservation Commission and Planning Board, with some debate over parking and height.

The 81-101 Blanchard Road housing project in the Cambridge Highlands near Belmont is proposed by area nonprofit B’nai B’rith under Affordable Housing Overlay zoning approved by the City Council in 2020. Representatives of the nonprofit had an initial site meeting with neighbors in July. Two community meetings, required under AHO rules, were held in October and November. The commission and board hearings were Jan. 21 and Feb. 1, respectively.

The proposed project would be a six-story building with 110 units, all one-bedroom. Of those, 77 would be affordable for individuals or households at or below 60 percent of average median income – $62,340 for one person, or $71,280 for two people. Another 33 would be affordable for individuals or households at or below 30 percent of AMI, which is $31,150 for one person or $35,600 for two people.

The parcel is 3.2 acres, holding one vacant two-story former strip mall and two four-story residential buildings. The former strip mall would be demolished for the new building; the two existing residential buildings would remain.

The ground floor will have 8,000 square feet of amenity space, including on-site social services workers…”

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https://www.cambridgeday.com/2024/0...build-space-for-services-on-its-ground-floor/

Slides
https://www.cambridgema.gov/-/media...101blanchardrd/87101blanchardrd_aho_vol2d.pdf
 
pfd12 said:
Apologies if this has already been posted/is the wrong thread, but didn't find anything in search. I recently stumbled across this feasibility study for the Rindge-Danehy connection across the Fitchburg Line tracks: CambridgeMA.gov/FitchburgCrossing

Last September, the city submitted an application to USDOT's Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhoods grant program for the design of an overpass. If timeline is similar to the previous round, recipients should be announced really soon?
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Cambridge received $2.4M for the design/planning of the overpass: https://www.transportation.gov/sites/dot.gov/files/2024-03/RCN FY23 Awardees Factsheet.pdf#page=7

To be combined with $600k ARPA funds to meet the $3M total cost.
 
pfd12 said:
Cambridge received $2.4M for the design/planning of the overpass: https://www.transportation.gov/sites/dot.gov/files/2024-03/RCN FY23 Awardees Factsheet.pdf#page=7

To be combined with $600k ARPA funds to meet the $3M total cost.
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All the many times I crossed those tracks at that very location when I was a kid, to get from Jefferson Park over to the Fresh Pond shopping center. Kids used to get shopping g carts from Zayres, leave them on the mainline tracks and watch the locomotives plow into them.

The overpass will be a huge improvement for the entire area, providing access from the south to the swimming pool on Rindge Ave, and access from the north to Danehy Park.
 

75/109 Smith PlaceUpdate 03/12/24​


Aldon Electric Completes Power & Lighting Infrastructure for Cambridge Life Science Project​

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“Aldon Electric, Inc. recently completed a comprehensive project involving the installation of crucial power and lighting infrastructure at 101 Smith Place, Cambridge. The scope of work encompassed connecting the building to the utility switchyard and extending the wiring to the 17,000 square foot mechanical penthouse.

The power distribution system was a key aspect of the project, requiring the installation of three switchboards and two runs of 480V busway to efficiently manage electricity flow throughout the building. Additionally, twenty-three panelboards were strategically placed across various areas to meet specific power demands.

To provide backup power during emergencies, Aldon installed a 300kW natural gas generator along with a transfer switch for the optional standby system.

The lighting system was meticulously designed to include 30 controlled zones in areas like the main lobby and exterior, with over 1,100 light fixtures installed throughout the facility to ensure optimal illumination.

In addition to power and lighting, Aldon also implemented essential safety and communication systems. This included the installation of a fire alarm system for early detection of fire hazards, a security system to protect against unauthorized access, and a telecommunications system to facilitate efficient communication within the facility….”

https://www.bldup.com/posts/aldon-e...astructure-for-cambridge-life-science-project
 
Only construction update I could find for 605 concord ave, I’m sure its a good bit further along by now. Construction completing in summer 24’

Framing Progressing for Fresh Pond Project​

“Framing is progressing for 605 Concord, a transit-oriented development that will deliver 49 apartment units above 2,500 square feet of street-level retail space to the Fresh Pond neighborhood. The upcoming 6-story building will feature a mix of studio, one-, two-, and three-bedroom units, with 15% of the units designated as affordable. Many of the apartments will include balconies or roof-top terraces with spectacular views of the park and reservoir. Construction is anticipated to be completed in summer of 2024.”

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https://www.bldup.com/posts/framing-progressing-for-fresh-pond-project

-This is going to fit in well with its colorful neighbor to the right.

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https://www.coldwellbankerhomes.com/ma/cambridge/605-concord-ave-a/pid_57196174/#ViewAllPhotos

603 concord ave next door
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That harlequin technicolor nightmare is maybe the ugliest single development I've ever seen in the greater Boston area.
 
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