The design process for the River Street project began in November 2018 with data collection (topographic survey; street user and parking counts; etc.). The design process of the River Street corridor will finish in the spring of 2021. The re-design of the Carl Barron Plaza is ongoing and scheduled to be complete at the end of summer 2021. A fall open house is anticipated to view the final design of both the corridor and plaza. Street reconstruction is anticipated to begin as early as late 2021 but could begin in early 2022. Utility companies began some work on River Street in fall 2020.
Ongoing
Utility companies, like Eversource, are doing some construction on River Street in advance of the City's street reconstruction project.
November 2021
November 17 The project team hosted the twelfth meeting of the River Street Reconstruction working group. The project team presented a review of an updated and refined design for Carl Barron Plaza. Click here to view the presentation. Click here to view the meeting summary.
July 2021
July 30 The project team has summarized the input we received during the comment period for the Carl Barron Plaza design concepts. Click here to view the summary of public comments.
June 2021
June 30 We closed the public comment forms on the feedback webpage. The project video remains available to watch. Click here to view project video.
June 22 We held a Q&A public information session.
June 16 We launched a public feedback opportunity for Carl Barron Plaza design concepts. Click here to visit the feedback webpage.
May 2021
May 6 Tenth working group meeting held with remote participation. Click here to view the meeting presentation in PDF format.
Winter 2020-2021
Ongoing We continued development of the Carl Barron Plaza conceptual designs and adjusted corridor designs based on public feedback.
November 2020
November 22 We closed the comment forms and mapping tools on the open house webpage. Click here to view the open house webpage in an archived format. Send an e-mail with additional comments or questions to RiverStreet@CambridgeMA.gov.
October 2020
October 29 We hosted question and answer information session with remote participation through Zoom with closed captioning. Click here to see a summary of questions and answers.
October 27 We launched virtual open house website to get feedback. Click here to see virtual open house.
August 2020
Late Project team posted corridor 25% design documents. Click here to see 25% design plans.
August 18 Tenth working group meeting held with remote participation. Click here to see presentation.
July 2020
July 22 Ninth Working Group meeting held with remote participation. Click here to see presentation.
June 2020
June 22 Eversource Gas began construction on the River Street corridor. Click here to view notice.
Ongoing The project team is still working on the conceptual design for River Street and Carl Barron Plaza.
March 2020
March 13 The City of Cambridge cancelled or postponed all non-regulatory public meetings through May 31, 2020. This included all public engagement activities for the River Street project.
Ongoing The project team is still working on the conceptual design for River Street and Carl Barron Plaza.
February 2020
Mid-February Project team sent a winter update e-mail. Click here to see the project update e-mail.
December 2019
December 17 Eighth Working Group meeting at Manning Apartments
Ongoing The project team is still working on the conceptual design for River Street.
November 2019
November 19 Second public meeting at the Putnam Upper School
October 2019
October 22 Seventh Working Group meeting at Manning Apartments
September 2019
September 24 Sixth Working Group meeting at the Manning Apartments
August 2019
Carl Barron Plaza engagement postponed.
July 2019
July 17 Fifth Working Group meeting at the Manning Apartments
Other public engagement events rescheduled for September
June 2019
June 11 Public site walk - Urban design and local businesses
June 8 Outdoor public event - Existing conditions at Carl Barron Plaza
June 5 Open house event - Existing conditions at Carl Barron Plaza
May 2019
May 28 Fourth Working Group meeting at the Manning Apartments
May 14 Public site walk - Mobility and safety
April 2019
April 23 Third Working Group meeting at Manning Apartments. Toolbox of design elements
March 2019
March 26 First community meeting at Cambridge Community Center
Public input map launched.
February 2019
February 26 Second working group meeting at Manning Apartments
January 2019
January 29 First working group meeting at Manning Apartments
December 2018
City appointed a working group to represent a cross-section of resident and business interests in the corridor, as well as representatives from relevant advisory committees.
November 2018
The City entered into a contract with a design team led by HDR Engineering, Inc. of Boston, MA for the planning and design of the project. The project team includes the following companies:
- HDR Engineering, Inc. manages the Project and provide surface and subsurface engineering, and Green Infrastructure design
- Halvorson Design Partnership lead for urban design, landscape architecture, and public art coordination
- McMahon Associates Inc. lead for transportation engineering and analysis, and community outreach
- Project for Public Spaces support the community outreach process, and lead community design charrettes for Carl Barron Plaza and related elements of Central Square
October 2018
City staff conducted interviews with applicants to the River Street Working Group.
September/October 2018
City staff reviewed proposals and conducted interviews with prospective design consultant teams.
As part of the River Street Reconstruction Project, the City is creating a new design for Carl Barron Plaza. Carl Barron Plaza is the public plaza space in front of Cambridge Savings Bank, Amazon, and the Holmes Building entrance. This new plaza design will consider the diversity of people and uses of the Plaza. The project will create a new public plaza design integrating public art, street furniture, access, and landscaping. The public plaza design must also meet the complex transportation needs for bus riders and people passing through the plaza.
The project team is doing ongoing community outreach and design through mid-2021. Construction is anticipated to begin in late 2021.
The first engagement activities for Carl Barron Plaza were in June 2019. These events focused on the existing conditions in the plaza and the MBTA bus terminal area.
A virtual open house began in October 2020 to get community input on proposed elements of Carl Barron Plaza.