Porter Square’s St. James Place underway after years of legal wrangling

Yet another development is underway along the Red Line, this time in Cambridge’s Porter Square area.

It’s there, at 2013 Massachusetts Avenue, that developer Acorn Holdings is building a 46-unit condo building called St. James Place. The four-story project also includes a new parish hall for the neighborhood’s St. James Episcopal Church.

The developer, its partners, and assorted dignitaries, including Cambridge Mayor Marc McGovern, broke ground on the project on September 21.

Five of its 46 units are designated as affordable, and there will be 64 parking spaces on site despite the proximity to the T. The 11,400-square-foot parish hall—which will include a food pantry and a library—will be be below the three floors of condos. St. James Place is also due to have 2,000 square feet of retail.

The commencement of construction caps several years of legal wrangling over the development, which replaces a former car wash. Construction is expected to wrap in 18 months.

• Residents’ lawsuits keep condos on hold around Porter Square showcase church [Day]
• Living along the Red Line: 6 new condo and apartment developments, mapped [Curbed Boston]