Image courtesy of Bruner/Cott Architects

The days may be numbered for one of Harvard Square’s signature properties. 

Cambridge-based Trinity Property Management proposes demolishing The Garage office-retail complex and construction of a new 6-story, 87,000-square-foot building at the corner of JFK and Mount Auburn streets.

Designs by Bruner/Cott Architects include creation of multiple entryways on the ground floor for “likely retail uses,” but owners have not identified any tenants, according to a special permit application to the Cambridge planning board.

The upper floors would contain “office and business use tenants,” covered outdoor terraces and a roof deck on the fifth floor. The proposal increases the building height from 62 to 80 feet.

The major Harvard Square landlord said it will retain portions of the 2-story facade dating back to the 1860s, when the building was originally constructed as horse stables. 

After its conversion into a parking garage, the building took on a new life as a mixed-use property including specialty shops, restaurants and John Harvard’s Brewery & Ale House, which closed in 2019.

Redevelopment plans reflect the uncertainty of retail properties in the COVID era, Trinity executive John DiGiovanni told The Cambridge Day in May, when the plans were presented to a neighborhood group.

The Cambridge Historical Commission approved the demolition and building plans in June. The project requires special permit approval from the Cambridge Planning Board.