Awaiting Reports Items Numbered 16-111, 18-38, and 20-61, regarding Municipal Property Inventory

Cambridge Health

Alliance 10,064 105 Windsor has previously been used as a school, recreation center, health clinic, and library for the Port neighborhood. The building currently sits vacant; contains 13,000 sf of interior area; and needs substantial interior and exterior renovations. A robust community process will listen to and consider a wide variety of potential uses. Suggested future uses include: a history museum; art gallery; community kitchen; meeting space; 4

social services; economic enrichment; preschool; not city offices. 205 Western Ave Vacant building c/o

Cambridge Health

Alliance 5,312 205 Western Avenue was built in 1993 as an outpatient clinic for the Cambridge Hospital network. The center closed in 2009. The building has been unoccupied since and under the care of the Cambridge Health Alliance (CHA). The Department of Public Works has recently completed an assessment of the building in response to Council Order PO 2022#65 and has concluded that the building needs substantial renovation. 3 Bigelow St

Transitional /Shelter

Housing 5,275 This building has been unoccupied since 2015 and the transitional shelter has now been relocated to 859 Massachusetts Avenue. The building needs substantial repairs and has been identified in previous studies as office space for City staff. 260 Green Street

Green Street

Garage/Central Square

Branch Library

31,545 The Central Square Branch Library is the City’s largest and busiest branch, located next to the Green Street parking garage. 29 Third St

Cambridge Electrical

Department 5,348 29 Third Street is the former East

Cambridge Fire Station presently used

by the Cambridge Electrical Department. 763 Concord Ave

Cambridge West

Industrial Park Green

Patch 4,814 The City owns a small vacant parcel at the corner of Spinelli Place and Concord Avenue in Alewife. 35 Cherry Street Lot at School and

Cherry Street

10,324 35 Cherry Street was acquired by the City from MIT as part of a development agreement. The Community Development Department hosted a series of public meetings and focus groups in 2021 to understand the community’s vision and priorities for 5

affordable housing. The community identified the site for affordable home ownership and developed design principles to guide the size, scale, and quality of development. 89 Brookline St #1 Lot at Watson and

Brookline Street

3,432 89 Brookline Street, at the corner of Brookline and Watson in Cambridgeport, was donated to the City by MIT. The space will be used as future open space. In the spring/summer of 2022, the City made improvements to the space, including removing the fence, planting trees along the perimeter, and adding a pollinator garden. 3 Emily St

Lot at Emily Street

2,401

Previously owned by MIT, 3 Emily

Street in Cambridgeport was previously used and continues to be used as a community garden. 32 Flagg St

Corporal Burns

bathhouse and Gym 4,920 Square footage includes the building and immediate area only, in the southeast corner of Corporal Burns Park

While they are being actively used as parking, surface parking lots owned by the City offer the possibility of redevelopment to serve mutilple municipal goals. Location Description Square Feet 84 Bishop Allen Dr

Municipal Parking Lot 5

34,442 38 Bishop Allen Dr

Municipal Parking Lot 6

26,201 9 Pleasant St

Municipal Parking Lot 9

7,220 331 Norfolk St

Norfolk St Lot

7,576 375 Green St

Municipal Parking Lot 8 6,163

96 Bishop Allen Dr

Municipal Parking Lot 4

5,938 6

As illustrated, a significant number of vacant and underutlized municipal property is located in Central Square, including five surface parking lots, totaling about 80,000 square feet. The map below shows City-owned vacant and underutlized buildings in Central Square.

Central Square area municipal property needs assessment and planning study To best manage City-owned property, it is beneficial to conduct a comprehensive needs assessment and planning study for municipal properties. Given the concentration of the City’s vacant and underutilized property assets in and around Central Square, we believe it is best to consider these sites together to see how best to meet the City’s needs. The study will, therefore, focus on this area.

This holistic approach will identify how the City can best leverage our properties to support municipal services and advance City priorities. Based on prior studies such as the Central Square Planning Study (C2 Plan), priorities articulated by the City Council, and City needs, these priorities include the following: 7

Affordable housing; Open space and other community gathering space; Arts and culture (e.g., Starlight Square, museums); Community services and facilities (e.g., preschool space); Central Square municipal parking (e.g., loading); Stormwater management and flood reduction in the Port neighborhood; and Office space for municipal functions.

The Community Development Department is preparing to hire a consultant to develop a municipal property needs assessment and planning study for City-owned property in and around Central Square.

The scope of the project will include the following: Documenting what facilities will be needed in the next 5 to 15 years for achieving the City’s programmatic and service goals; Analyzing how the City’s existing facilities and properties can accommodate those needs; Quantifying the gap between our needs and existing facilities; and Developing an action plan with recommendations to address future needs.

The planning study will include an assessment of municipal needs through interviews with key departments; an inclusive public engagement process; and drawing on recently completed studies. Of note, and on the City Manager’s agenda tonight, is a report that the City is currently embarking on a citywide comprehensive mapping and analysis of cultural infrastructure in partnership with the City of Boston, the City of Somerville, and the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC).

Results from the cultural infrastructure assessment will be incorporated into the citywide municipal property needs assessment and planning study. The study will consider which sites are appropriate for certain type and scale of development and consider compatible uses when feasible and appropriate. It will result in a comprehensive assessment of current municipal property in the Central Square area and possible future options to best serve the longer-term needs of the Cambridge community.

Specifically, the study will determine the potential for affordable housing on the City-owned parking lots along Bishop Allen Drive (as per POR 2016 # 111); and the study will incorporate the inclusive public process requested specific to 105 Windsor Street (as per POR 2022 # 142 and discussed during the design appropriation debate by City Council on September 12, 2022) with the expectation that such will result in a building use recommendation made to the City Council before detailed design begins.