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Kendall Square Construction Projects

map of kendall square construction projects

Kendall Square Construction Update

The following is an outline of the active construction projects in Kendall Square, including private development projects and City of Cambridge infrastructure projects. To stay up-to-date on the projects listed below, please sign up for the newsletter. For questions, please contact Kristen Kelleher at kkelleher@cambridgema.gov.

This webpage is updated regularly. The last update was on March 1 , 2024.

Project List 

Click any of the below projects to learn more and view upcoming impacts:

600 Main Street 

The Ragon Institute of Massachusetts General Hospital, operating in collaboration with MIT and Harvard, will construct a new headquarters at 600 Main Street. The project requires the demolition of the existing building to make way for the construction of a new six-story building. The contractor for 600 Main Street is Consigli Construction Company. 

Upcoming Impacts 

  • Albany Street will remain closed to through traffic from the garage entrance to Portland Street through May 2024. The sidewalk adjacent to the building will remain closed and pedestrian detours have been implemented. 
  • Parking has been eliminated to facilitate the current traffic lane shift that will remain on Portland Street from Main Street to Albany Street through May 2024. 
  • Landscaping and hardscaping work began in October 2023 and is ongoing.
  • Landscaping and hardscaping work began October 2023 and is ongoing. 
  • Work on the Eversource gas regulator station is planned to begin in early 2024 adjacent to this site. 

Binney Park

The Binney Park parcel is located at the intersection of Binney Street and Galileo Galilei Way and extends to the intersection of Galileo Galilei Way and Broadway.  The City is designing the project to incorporate a section of the Grand Junction Multi-Use Path, new landscaping and other park facilities.  This new park project is still in the design phase.  A contract was awarded to Argus Construction, and construction began in October 2022.  

Upcoming Impacts

  • Construction of the dog park began in October 2023 and will continue through Winter 2024.
  • The sidewalk on Galileo Galilei Way will be closed until Spring 2024.
    • Pedestrians and Cyclist shared detour on existing bike lane in effect. 

325 Binney Street

Alexandria Real Estate Equities is in the process of developing commercial lab space at 325 Binney Street. The project will occupy sidewalks and parking lanes to accommodate building construction logistics on Binney and Fulkerson Streets. The proposed scope also includes utility construction and exterior surface work. The contractor for this project is John Moriarty and Associates.

Upcoming Impacts 

  • Work on the building façade is ongoing.
  • Communication and water utility work occurred between January and August 2023 on Binney Street and Fulkerson Street.  
    • Fulkerson Street paving will be complete by Spring 2024.
  • Surface work on Binney Street began in June 2023. Road closures are in effect for vehicles between Fulkerson Street and the railroad tracks. 
    • Daily road closures will take place to support this activity. Detour signage will be placed for pedestrians and motorist. 
  • Final paving of Binney Street will be completed in Spring 2024.

40 Thorndike Street

Leggat McCall Properties is converting the former Edward J. Sullivan Courthouse and jail in East Cambridge into a mixed-use office, residential, and retail development. The interior and exterior renovation will deliver a vibrant development that is integrated into the residential and commercial neighborhood. The contractor is John Moriarty and Associates.

Upcoming Impacts 

  • The adjacent parking lane and a portion of the travel lane on Thorndike Street have been closed to facilitate work on the building façade and a pedestrian detour has been implemented. This restriction is anticipated to remain in place through the completion of the project.
  • Work commenced on the Pocket Park at Spring Street and Thorndike Street Fall of 2023.

MBTA Lechmere Station

This work is part of the development at Cambridge Crossing and will provide a connection between First Street and the new development. Work includes pedestrian and bicycle connections to the new Lechmere T Station on the north side of Monsignor O’Brien Highway, demolition of the old Lechmere T Station, and construction of North First Street.

Old Lechmere Station

  • DIVCO has erected a wooden fence around Parcel V. The fence will remain in place until building construction starts.
  • Final paving for Monsignor O'Brien Highway to North First Street and Cambridge Street between First and Second St will be complete by Spring 2024. 

CambridgeSide

This project involves repurposing the existing site to develop a mixed-use location including retail, work and living spaces.  This work will include the sidewalk on First Street and a small portion of Lechmere Canal Park.  New England Development is the developer for this project.

Upcoming Impacts

  • Renovation of the former Sears building is ongoing.
  • Project work has begun, including the implementation of long-term temporary lane closures, bike lane closures, and sidewalk closures on First Street at Thorndike Street.
  • Work at the former Macy’s building at the corner of Land Boulevard and CambridgeSide Place is ongoing. Traffic islands have been reconfigured and the right lane on Land Boulevard adjacent to the mall has been closed to facilitate the work. This lane closure is anticipated to remain in place through Winter 2024.
  • Lechmere Canal Park work began in Fall 2023
  • Utility work on Land Boulevard began in August 2023 and will continue till early 2024.

161 First Street

161 First Street is an existing, four-story, brick building constructed circa 1907 for factory and warehouse uses. The historic structure is currently undergoing a complete renovation to restore architectural features to their former glory; address deferred maintenance, code compliance, and energy efficiency issues; and create forward-thinking spaces appealing to modern behavior. The project will include new windows and masonry repointing respectful of the building’s historic character preservation and energy efficiency goals; code compliance improvements to entries, stairwells, elevators, and building systems; building common spaces including a patio at the building’s western edge; and a roof deck designed to support a collaborative, modern work environment.  The Project will also include approximately 8,000 square feet of Innovation Office Space.

Upcoming Impacts 

  • The contractor's work on the site is ongoing.

One Rogers Street

Two existing buildings located at One Rogers Street and One Charles Park will be upgraded to provide approximately 400,000 square feet of new laboratory space. The overall construction duration is expected to be about two years. The contractor is Commodore Builders.

Upcoming Impacts

  • The northern sidewalk on Rogers Street is closed and a pedestrian detour has been implemented.
  • Lane closures are in effect on Rogers Street requiring one-way vehicular traffic configuration. 

SoMa Site 2 - 200 Main Street

Located at 200 Main Street, SoMa Site 2, a mixed-use building, will incorporate the existing structure at 200 Main Street (known as the Kendall Building) with a 12-story addition providing new commercial laboratory and office spaces. This work includes demolition of the Site 2 building on Wadsworth Street and reconstruction of Wadsworth Street. The contractor for Site 2 is John Moriarty & Associates and for Sites 3 through 5 is Turner Construction.  

Upcoming Impacts 

  • Foundation work for the new building began in early-December 2022 and is ongoing.
  • The east sidewalk on Wadsworth Street between Main and Amherst Streets will remain closed to facilitate work on the site. The west sidewalk is open for pedestrian use.

Headhouses of MBTA Kendall/MIT Stations

The North Side of the MBTA Kendall/MIT Headhouse is being reconstructed as part of the project at 325 Main Street.

Upcoming Impacts  

  • Construction at the Outbound Station Headhouse began in July 2022. Pedestrian detours have been implemented.  

Greater Cambridge Energy Project

Eversource proposes to construct a new underground substation in Kendall Square, along with eight new underground transmission lines interconnecting to existing substations in the surrounding area.   The project is expected to bolster system reliability, meet growing energy needs, and further facilitate access to clean energy resources. 

  • The State Utility Siting Board public hearing process was completed at the end of October 2023.
  • Updates on project activities can found here: Greater Cambridge Energy Project | Eversource
  • Test pits and soil boring work has commenced in January 2024 throughout the project area.
    • Test pit work will take place on Ames Street, Linskey Way and Broadway

330 Third Street at Kendall Street

The new building at the northeast corner of the intersection of Third and Kendall Streets will be a 500,000-square-foot, 16-story, mixed-use structure including laboratory and office space, a performance center, and a ground-level indoor/outdoor public space.

Upcoming Impacts

  • Construction of the new building began in Spring 2022.
  • Foundation work on the site to begin late September 2022 and is ongoing. 

The Boston Properties MXD Project

Upgrades to the current site, Blue Garage at 290 Binney Street, will consist of an Eversource underground substation, a reconstructed Blue Garage below grade, a 420,000-square-foot housing building, two new 400,000 square foot commercial buildings, and a new open space with circulation connections located between Binney Street, Galileo Galilei Way, and Broadway. 

Upcoming Impacts

  • The following two work zones were implemented in late-October 2022 and will remain in place through Spring of 2024:
    • Work zone on Binney Street: Will reduce vehicular traffic to one lane in each direction at Sixth Street. A pedestrian detour will be in place set up at that location. 
    • Work zone on Broadway: Will be one way traffic east bound towards Boston between Galileo Galilei Way and Ames Street.
  • During Summer 2022, a work zone was set up on Binney Street between Fulkerson and Sixth Street resulting in lane shifts for vehicle and bicycle traffic.
  • Slurry wall construction and excavation for the new parking garage and electrical substation began in April 2023. There will be heavy trucking around the site for the duration of this work.
    • Work will take place Monday to Saturday from 6:00 am - 11:00 pm through Winter 2024.
  • The sewer connection on Binney Street has started and construction will continue through winter 2023. 

41 Linskey Way

Alexandria Real Estate Equities will be renovating the existing, underutilized three-story brick building at 41 Linskey Way by constructing a new one-story annex on the building’s north side. This renovation will provide office space and a mixed mode transportation and mobility hub. The proposed, expanded building footprint will be set back from the northern property line to accommodate the Binney Street cycle-track. Centrally located between the MBTA Red Line Kendall Square and Green Line Lechmere Stations, the Hub will provide area residents, commuters, and visitors with a more efficient transfer between transit modes.

Upcoming Impacts

  • The parking lane is closed on Second Street between Binney Street and Linskey Way.

 

   

 

Page was posted on 3/26/2021 2:26 PM
Page was last modified on 3/4/2024 9:10 AM
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