M.I.T. Turning Massive Metropolitan Warehouse Into Dorms

It is one of the most distinct buildings in Cambridge and a lot of that has to do with its sheer bulk: The Metropolitan Moving & Storage Warehouse consumes nearly an entire block at Vassar Street and Mass. Ave. and looks like some kind of medieval fortress. The 221,194-square-foot building dates from 1894 and is exactly what its name suggests: a storage facility with some 900 units for rent. Now it appears that M.I.T., the Metropolitan's busy, busy landlord, has other plans for the monolith. Cambridge Day's Marc Levy has the details: "Customers at Metropolitan are being told to vacate to make way for an institute project described as including residences for between 400 and 450 students, maker space, student center uses and ground-floor retail, according to a customer who has received a letter from the company. A Metropolitan worker confirmed the closing."

It's not entirely clear what will become of the fortress-like facade nor the timetable for M.I.T.'s construction (only that tenants are being asked to move their stuff out by Oct. 30). We do have the above early renderings courtesy of the university. Brookline's Ensamble Studio and the Architectural Team in Chelsea are handling the design. Stay tuned. This may end up being one of the biggest Greater Boston construction projects of 2016.
· MIT Shutting Down Metropolitan Storage After 121 Years to Revamp for Student Uses [Day]
· Go Time for M.I.T.'s Six-Building Revamp in Kendall Square [Curbed Boston]