Image courtesy of Elkus Manfredi Architects
A 4.6 million square-foot development in West Cambridge would include 2,076 housing units, commercial space and a long-sought-after pedestrian and bike connection to the MBTA’s Alewife station.
Denver, Colorado-based Healthpeak has assembled 46 acres in the Quadrangle neighborhood, one of the last development frontiers in Cambridge. The industrial neighborhood has attracted multifamily and life science projects in recent years, but none on the scale of Healthpeak’s project.
In a notification form submitted to the Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act office, Healthpeak said the project will include 14 acres of public open space and parks, and donation of a 1.2-acre parcel to the city for a public works yard.
“The project’s proposed layout of walkable streets, active ground floors and new vibrant open space areas aim to create a pedestrian-oriented experience that fosters face-to-face interaction,” the filing, submitted by VHB on behalf of Healthpeak, states. “Diverse housing options, consumer services, recreational amenities and diverse programming are intended to draw a broad range of residents to the project.”
In April, life science specialist Healthpeak announced it had formed a partnership with South Station Tower developer Hines for the residential component of the “Cambridge Point” project, with a goal of breaking ground on the first building in 2027.
Cambridge Point would be built in two phases, Healthpeak said, with an initial phase including 1,300 residential units in five buildings, and 1.3 million square feet of office-lab space in four buildings, along with nearly 3,000 parking spaces.
Total vehicle parking would total 4,773 spaces, including existing spaces. A traffic analysis estimates the project would increase vehicle trips on Concord Avenue, the main roadway at the entrance to the neighborhood, by 17,000 trips daily to 31,252. The project will include “significant enhancements to the local roadway system,” the filing states.
Developers said the project is designed with a “pedestrian- and cyclist-first approach” including protected bike lanes, shared streets and construction of the bridge across the MBTA tracks, which would reduce walking time to the Alewife station from the current 15 to 20 minutes to eight to 15 minutes. The bridge would be constructed during the second phase of the project, and be donated to the city for operation and maintenance.
Three buildings would be retained: office buildings at 10 Fawcett St. and 725 Concord Ave., and a retail building at 110 Fawcett St.
Developers are targeting final local approval by Cambridge officials in the third quarter of 2026, according to the filing.
Hines entered a “long-term partnership” with Healthpeak in April to develop and capitalize the residential portion of the project. The overall project is estimated to take 10 years to build out.
Healthpeak’s proposal is one of two major developments that could rise in the West Cambridge neighborhood in coming years.
The MBTA announced plans last year for a mixed-use development on the MBTA Alewife parking garage site under a new joint development structure designed to maximize the potential for transit-oriented projects on its properties.
Image courtesy of Elkus Manfredi Architects
