February 2012

Kendall Square Urban Renewal Project/Chronology

1964 Authority requested by the Federal government and the City to initiate the 42-acre Kendall Square Urban Renewal project.
1965 Authority completes feasibility planning and obtains all local (Planning Board & City Council), state (Division of Urban Renewal) and federal (Department of Housing and Urban Development) approvals.
1966 National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) executes land disposition contract with the Authority to develop the Electronic Research Center (ERC) on 29-acres. Authority acquires, clears and disposes 6.3 acres to NASA.
1967 Authority begins concept planning for 13-acre "Golden Triangle" to be privately developed.
1968 Authority acquires, clears, prepares and transfers 4.2 additional acres to NASA.
1969 Developer interest solicited for Triangle development while 3.8 more acres acquired cleared and conveyed to NASA.
1970 NASA abruptly closes ERC and moves to Houston; Authority works with Department of Transportation Secretary, John A. Volpe, to transfer use to DOT as the Transportation Systems Center (TSC).
1971 DOT agrees to release its rights to the so-called "surplus NASA" land north of Broadway and west of Sixth Street, an 11-acre site; CRA begins re-planning efforts.
1972 Revised concept plan prepared by the Authority and presented to developers, City Council and Planning Board.
1973 City Council reviews Authority plan for job-intensive uses on surplus NASA land and mixed-use development on the Triangle; plan is rejected and Kendall Square Task Force appointed by Mayor Ackermann.
1974 Task Force recommendation of light industrial uses on Parcel 2 (surplus NASA land) rejected and the Neighborhood Plan for mixed use adopted by the Council.
1975 Authority secures $15-million grant from HUD towards completion of the project; Environmental Impact Study commences.
1976 Authority brings in Urban Land Institute panel to review the project and recommendations for mixed use are made to the City; GSA approves the surplus NASA land transfer; EIS completed.
1977 City Council unanimously approves Amendment No. 1 to the Kendall Square Urban Renewal Area Plan and Zoning Ordinance Amendment creating the Mixed Use Development District.
1978 HUD approves EIS; Authority selects Boston Properties as developer for Parcels 3 and 4 (land south of Broadway, the Triangle).
1979 Authority executes development agreement with Boston Properties, anticipating 1,500,000 square feet of privately-financed development on the Triangle.
1980 Construction begins on the first building of a 13-story, 243,426 square foot office building with ground floor retail at Five Cambridge Center.
1981 Ground breaking for a second 12-story 224,815 square foot office tower with ground floor retail at Four Cambridge Center; Authority secures $5.1-million grant for transit-related improvements (pedestrian walkways, bus contraflow lane, transit plaza and Thomas J. Murphy Park at the apex of the Triangle); construction on Five Cambridge Center completed in summer by Boston Properties.
1982 Five Cambridge Center fully leased; Four Cambridge Center begins occupancy in December; construction begins on 863-car garage; Agreement reached with Boston Properties on the development of Parcel 2 (surplus NASA land) and construction commences on Fourteen Cambridge Center, a 62,576 square foot building for Biogen; construction commences on 130,310 square foot research facility at Nine Cambridge Center for Whitehead Institute; Authority continues public improvement construction.
1983 Four Cambridge Center fully leased and under management by Boston Properties; 863-car garage between Four and Five Cambridge Center opens for parking in April and is managed by Boston Properties; construction on Fourteen Cambridge Center completed in June and under management by Biogen.
1984 Construction on 78,636 square foot, 4-story office building at Eleven Cambridge Center for the headquarters of the Open Software Foundation completed in June; construction completed on Nine Cambridge Center (Whitehead Institute) in summer.
1986 Construction completed on 330,303 square foot, 25-story, 431-room Marriott Hotel at Two Cambridge Center in September.
1987 Construction completed on 103,630 square foot, 4-story building at Three Cambridge Center in March, providing office space, ground floor retail, food court, and outdoor seating on plaza; reconstruction of Kendall Square station and construction of new traction power substation on MBTA Red line completed in Spring; construction completed on 224,538 square foot, 12-story office building at One Cambridge Center and occupancy begins in September.
1988 Construction completed by CRA on major transit plaza between One and Three Cambridge Center, providing setting for outdoor dining and scheduled activities, owned by CRA, and programmed and maintained by Boston Properties.
1990 Construction completed on 145,603 square foot, 7-story building at Ten Cambridge Center in March, to be fully occupied by Biogen later in year; 1,170-car parking facility in central portion of Parcel 2 opens for parking in June; CRA completes basic public improvements throughout project area in June, including construction of new street network and Thomas J. Murphy Park, as well as landscaping of existing spaces, planting of median strips, brick sidewalks and a Pedestrian Walkway.
1991 Boston Properties completes construction and maintains park on Parcel 2, as publicly accessible open space.
1993 Construction on 148,228 square foot, 6-story biotechnology lab and office building at Twelve Cambridge Center commences by Biogen, under terms of ground lease with Boston Properties; this follows Planning Board and City Council actions on Zoning and Urban Renewal Plan Amendments.
1996 Construction completed on 60,000 square foot addition to Nine Cambridge Center.
1997 Construction commences in November on 185,356 square foot, 15-story, 221-room hotel at Six Cambridge Center, to be operated as Residence Inn by Marriott.
1998 Construction commences in February on 176,868 square foot, 9-story office building at Eight Cambridge Center, to serve as international headquarters for Cambridge Technology Partners.
1999 Authority installs public improvements and construction completed on Six Cambridge Center and opening occurs in February; construction completed on Eight Cambridge Center and initial occupancy begins in June; construction commenced in June by Biogen on 211,406 square foot, 6-story research and development building, under terms of ground lease by and between Boston Properties and Biogen, to be owned, occupied and managed by Biogen.
2000 Building moratorium adopted by the City of Cambridge; City undertakes comprehensive study of land use.
2001 Planning Board and City Council approves an increase of 200,000 square feet of residential uses for the project area.
2002 Authority convenes an advisory group, known as the Housing and Open Space Coalition, with a charge to present to the Authority recommendations for Parcel 1; approval by the Executive Office of Environmental Affairs and Department of Housing and Community Development of Parcel 3 development (i.e., Seven Cambridge Center).
2003 Biogen announced its plan to merge with Idec; Boston Properties and the Authority reach agreement on the minimum land purchase price for residential uses on Parcel 3; the Authority and Boston Properties working on the "Broad Institute" as a possible tenant for the Parcel 3 commercial space.
2004 Residential development of 578 units on Parcel 1 approved by the Planning Board in April; Biogen announces plans to proceed with expansion of Twelve Cambridge Center; Board of Zoning Appeals approves variance to allow Boston Properties to proceed with Seven Cambridge Center for the Broad Institute and a parking garage; the Executive Office of Environmental Affairs and Department of Housing and Community Development concur with the Authority's determination that Amendment No. 6 (an increase of 29,100 square feet of GFA) was a minor plan change and that additional environmental review was not required.
2005 Approximately 670,000 square feet of development, exclusive of the West parking garage, are in construction (Seven Cambridge Center on Parcel 3); on Parcel 2, Biogen includes a first-in-the-Commonwealth co-generation facility (which converts gas into steam and generates up to 5,500 kilowatts of electricity) resulting in keeping 25,000 tons of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere annually.
2006 Prior Congressional approval of a $750,000 appropriation for street improvements in Kendall Square; and $1-million for open space development. Design of both projects commences. Biogen sells its original headquarters to Alexandria.
2007 25% Plans filed to MassHighway for Third Street roadway project and for Innovation Boulevard open space. A new "Gateway Project" for the Longfellow Bridge access is announced. Chapter 91 Legislation approval allowing two major projects by Boston Properties and Biogen to proceed.
2008 Microsoft and Google both announce Cambridge locations; Akamai signs 185,000 square foot lease; Broad opens followed by an announcement of a $400-million permanent endowment. Exetell Development is seeking to construct university-affiliated housing on Parcel 1. A Land Disposition Agreement for housing to be built on Parcel 6 was approved. Plans for the development of a linear park along the CSX rail line continues.
2009 Congress approved a $1.2 million earmark for initial work on the Gateway Project. 25% plans review continues by MassHighway for the Innovation Boulevard open space project. Funds from an earlier earmark were transferred to improvements on Broadway identified by the City of Cambridge. The Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Department of Energy and Environmental Affairs approved the extension of the Kendall Square Urban Renewal Plan to August 2020.
2010 The Department of Housing and Community Development and the Department of Energy and Environmental Affairs approved Amendment No. 8, providing for an additional 300,000 gross square feet and noted that no further environmental review was required. Authority approves Schematic Design Phase for the expansion of the Broad Institute at 75 Ames Street. Authority approves redesign of the Charles C. Nowiczewski Plaza at the Marriott. Authority receives an earmark of $1,111,500 for a "Gateway Project" at the Longfellow Bridge.
2011 Proposed Microsoft signage at One Cambridge Center is approved. Preliminary plans for redesigned entrance for Microsoft is approved. Authority conducts design review of several phases of proposed lab space for two buildings. The Cambridge Planning Board and the City Council approve a zoning amendment increasing the allowed GFA for lab space by 300,000 square feet.