The developers behind a plan to replace the old Quest Diagnostics building in Cambridge's Central Square with an apartment complex of approximately 230 units called Mass + Main are asking a couple of things of the city first. For one thing, they want to build taller than is normal for that area (and, some might argue, for Cambridge in general). The plan from Twining Properties (the folks behind the Watermark in Kendall Square) and Normandy Real Estate (the folks behind the big Parcel 9 project in Boston) currently calls for building as high as 70 feet along Bishop Allen Drive and as high as 195 feet on Massachusetts Avenue, per Marc Levy at Cambridge Day. So they need a zoning O.K. to do that.
The developers are also seeking an O.K. for around 150 parking spaces, a radical enough move considering that Cambridge generally mandates one car per new unit. Also, some 5 percent of Mass + Main's apartments would be innovation units of no more than 500 square feet. Tenants in these numbers would not be allowed to apply for a residential parking permit. We should note that the plans for Mass + Main have changed in the past (the towers there were once slated to rise to nearly 300 feet), so the current less parking-more height scheme could morph, too. Stay tuned.
· Landmark Central Square Tower Project Arrives with Some Questions, Complaints [Day]
· Boston's Parcel 9 Plans Include Hotel, Glass Pavilion [Curbed Boston]
· Sullivan Courthouse Fight: All This for 24 Apartments? [Curbed Boston]
· Central Square Is Going to Have a Moment [Curbed Boston]
[Rendering via Cambridge Day]
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