Google wants to build a 25,000-square-foot glass connector between its existing Kendall Square offices and another building, and the Cambridge City Council won't let it. They're concerned the addition may eat up public space that the city will never get back, despite promises from Google and its landlord, Boston Properties, to build a new park along nearby Binney Street. The council put Google's plans on ice last week pending further review. It will take up the issue again on March 19. Google issued the following statement to The Globe concerning the kerfuffle:
There’s a strong pipeline of talent in the Boston area which has fueled our growth in the region for nearly a decade. We look forward to continue working with the community and the city as we grow our presence. We'd say that's a pretty clear message to Cambridge: let us expand or we'll have to look elsewhere. Boston wants the company to look across the Charles. And why not? Office rents are essentially the same per square foot annually in Kendall Square and, say, the Innovation District in South Boston. Plus, the Menino administration in Boston seems rather eager to incentivize Google's move. Cambridge, under new Mayor Henrietta Davis, seems more inclined to talk about limits, even when there's a clear trade of office space for parkland. This might be over faster than a Google search.
· Google's Expansion Plan Riles Neighbors [Globe]
· Boston Courts Google—Can Kendall Square Stand It? [Curbed Boston]