Nauset and the design team worked with the Cambridge Historical Commission to preserve the 907 Main building’s historic character, including restoration of the original facade, while adding a 4-story extension. Photo courtesy of Nauset Construction
In 2017, well before the pandemic that would upend life as we knew it, Patrick Barrett had a vision. Seeing the revitalization that was taking place in Central Square and the expansion of nearby Kendall Square into a life science mecca, he and his partners at Sean Casey LLC decided to transform their tired, but historic, mixed-use property in the heart of the square into a boutique hotel. The move would provide much-needed lodging space to the area while preserving a landmark building in the Central Square District recognized by the National Register of Historic Places.
The seed of the idea came when Barrett was approached by a representative of Twining Properties, developers of the nearby 19-story Mass+Main (now Market Central) mixed-use residential/retail tower. Twining wanted to purchase the property, level it, and install a limited-service franchise hotel – an idea Barrett knew would be a tough sell to the neighborhood. He resisted selling and instead began working on obtaining a rezoning and converting the property, a 4-story, office/residential structure originally built in 1871, later renovated in 1928 into 12 apartment units with first-floor retail space, into a 67-room boutique hotel, now known as 907 Main.
Construction was complicated by the removal of some load-bearing walls on the ground floor, but Barrett was undeterred from pursuing a preservation project.
Sean Casey LLC contracted Gensler Boston for the interior design, with Boyes-Watson as the architect of record. The original contractor was replaced at the close of 2018 by Needham-based Nauset Construction. Despite having a small hotel construction portfolio, Nauset was well-versed in historic renovation, having completed such projects as Cary Hall in Lexington, the Brazilian Consulate in Boston’s Financial District and the Coddington Building in Quincy, winner of the 2015 Preservation Massachusetts Paul E. Tsongas Award.
Mike Hoban
Addition Blends with Historic Structure
Nauset and the design team worked closely with the Cambridge Historical Commission to preserve the building’s historic character, including the restoration of the original concrete and masonry building facade, as well as adding a 4-story addition that blends in seamlessly with the historic structure. The design also included a mix of amenities, including two new restaurants – The Dial and The Blue Owl – French patisserie Praline and the iconic Toscanini’s Ice Cream, whose space was renovated in its original location.
The project was nearly derailed by COVID, with construction shut down in mid-March 2020 as it was nearing completion. Nauset obtained approval from the city’s inspectional services department for a COVID plan that enabled workers to return on a limited basis: 10 on-site at a time, with social distancing, hand wash stations, strict mask compliance and frequent testing. The delays postponed the opening until September 2020, and the impact of COVID on both travel and dining persisted until recently, creating a financial strain despite positive hotel reviews (currently 4.5 stars on TripAdvisor). As a result, Barrett entered a five-year rental agreement/management contract with short-term rental operator Sonder to operate the hotel while Barrett runs the restaurants and event space.
Bob Calvao, vice president of field operations for Nauset, said a demolition and new construction project would have been less expensive and faster. The pains taken to preserve the original configuration and architectural features, however, set the property apart from cookie-cutter competition.
Mike Hoban is a Boston-based commercial real estate and AEC writer.
