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Many of the parks in Mid-Cambridge will soon need repair or replacement. We would like to work together with neighbors to create a plan for these parks and open spaces. By working together, we can make sure future park updates and plans meet the needs of our community & neighborhood.

The City of Cambridge today announced it has been awarded a $1 million construction grant from the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs’ (EEA) Dam and Seawall Program that will help ensure repairs of critical infrastructure with the Cambridge Reservoir Dam, Hobbs Brook Gatehouse, and Outlet Culvert. Cambridge was one of the 21 municipalities and nonprofit organizations to be awarded over $5.6 million in grants to repair dams and strengthen coastal infrastructure across Massachusetts. 

Creative Patching will focus on how to repair holes, tears, and stains in clothing using fabric patches and hand embroidery techniques. Participants will learn about tools and materials for patching, and how to combine fabric patches with simple hand embroidery stitches to create eye-catching visible mends. Leave class with a sampler of techniques that you can refer back to when tackling your own mends at home. Suitable for beginners with little or no sewing experience.

Creative Patching will focus on how to repair holes, tears, and stains in clothing using fabric patches and hand embroidery techniques. Participants will learn about tools and materials for patching, and how to combine fabric patches with simple hand embroidery stitches to create eye-catching visible mends. Leave class with a sampler of techniques that you can refer back to when tackling your own mends at home. Suitable for beginners with little or no sewing experience.

In 2023, structural deficiencies were identified in the nine-story building at 221 Mount Auburn Street, the Riverview Condominiums. During exploratory work for roof and drainage repairs, engineers discovered that the building was not built as originally designed. To reduce the weight in the building, all residents moved out by the end of 2024. After evaluating various repair options, the Condo Association has concluded that fixing the building is not feasible, and it will need to be taken down. The City is working closely with the Condo Association on reviewing the situation and planning for demolition of the nine-story building.

Learn to fix your broken household items, such as electronics, appliances, clothing, and toys etc. at the Fixit Clinic. Volunteer Fixit coaches will review, take apart, and assist in repair attempts. Gain the confidence and knowledge to make repairs and teach others to do the same. This event takes place in The Hive, located on L1 of the Main Library. Open to all ages, registration is required. This event is brought to you by the Cambridge Public Library, The Cambridge Department of Public Works, and Fixit Clinic. Register to participate: bit.ly/itemcheckin Volunteer to be a coach: bit.ly/inpersoncoachsignup

Learn to fix your broken household items, such as electronics, appliances, clothing, and toys etc. at the Fixit Clinic. Volunteer Fixit coaches will review, take apart, and assist in repair attempts. Gain the confidence and knowledge to make repairs and teach others to do the same. This event takes place in The Hive, located on L1 of the Main Library. Open to all ages, registration is required. This event is brought to you by the Cambridge Public Library, The Cambridge Department of Public Works, and Fixit Clinic. Register to participate: bit.ly/itemcheckin Volunteer to be a coach: bit.ly/inpersoncoachsignup

On the News and Current Projects page, we describe the art conservation program's year-round active care for Cambridge's public art collection. Here we feature the most recent exciting projects.

In honor of Women’s History Month, this collage workshop invites participants to explore collage as a practice rooted in storytelling, care, and reclamation. Together, we will look at how women and femmes have historically used cutting, layering, assemblage, and repair as forms of documentation and self expression, often working outside traditional art spaces and definitions of what is understood to be "fine art.” Participants will create collages using photographs, found papers, textiles, and personal ephemera, reflecting on lineage, memory, and the quiet labor of the women that shapes our lives. No prior collage experience is necessary. This workshop is designed as a welcoming, reflective space where participants are encouraged to work intuitively, honor their own histories, and engage with material in a tactile, intentional way. All are welcome. Registration is required.

The Moses Youth Center (Formerly known as the Area 4 Youth Center) was originally constructed in 1992. The building is 19,500 GSF with a concrete structure, large windows, skylights, and its original building systems. Named for Bob and Janet Moses, Cambridge residents, educators, and civil rights leaders, the facility is primarily used by the Department of Human Service Programs’ Cambridge Youth Programs division, which serves Cambridge teens through afterschool and summer programming. Nurtury, , an early childhood education provider, operates from the building’s basement level. Moses Youth Center also serves the larger community as a location for programs supporting new parents, community meetings, and a neighborhood voting location. The building has been evaluated for systems upgrades several times and is currently in design for an upcoming capital project to improve the aging HVAC systems, repair critical plumbing infrastructure, and make key elements of the building more visually appealing for users. In addition, DPW Engineering is working on a project for street improvements around the building to help address and improve exterior water infiltration issues that have impacted the Youth Center. (Kristen, you could link to the port project that Gerry is working on if you think it is appropriate). This project will enhance thermal comfort for staff and residents who use the Moses Youth Center. It will also further the climate goals outlined by the Cambridge Net Zero Action Plan through its transition to an electric energy system, which will decrease the building’s greenhouse gas emissions.