Watson Street Lot

Watson Street Lot

The vacant lot at 89 Brookline Street (on the corner of Brookline Street and Watson Street) was donated to the City by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The City took ownership of the site in 2022 and planted pollinator plantings and new trees in anticipation of future open space improvements.

Coming Soon: Pollinator Garden and Trees

The City recently acquired the vacant lot at 89 Brookline Street, which was donated to the City by MIT. 

The site will be used for open space. In the future, the City will conduct a community design process for this site. This process is not currently scheduled, but as the site is now under City control, more detailed planning for this can take place.

In the near term, the City will be conducting some early work to beautify and establish pollinator garden plantings at the site. 

Passive site:

  • At this time, there will be no equipment or furnishings installed at the site, and it will remain an open and passive area
  • The fences on the sidewalk edges of the site will be removed

Early Tree Plantings:

  • The City will plant canopy trees along the edge of the site. This will allow for trees begin growing early, while maintaining flexibility for the park design.
     

Pollinator Garden Plantings:

  • The City will set up a pollinator garden with flowering plants that support butterflies, bees, and other pollinators.
  • These plantings can be easily moved (if necessary) after a community design process.

For more information or to learn more about volunteer opportunities, please contact Gary Chan at 617/349-4603 or gchan@cambridgema.gov.

Removal of the fences along the sidewalk edges of the lot, tree planting, and pollinator garden establishment will take take place in late May/early June 2022.

The vacant lot at 89 Brookline Street (on the corner of Brookline Street and Watson Street) was donated to the City by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The City took ownership of the site in 2022. In fall 2019, MIT remediated the site, replacing the soil, and leaving about 6 inches of space to limit runoff until spring when MIT will top the site with a final layer of soil. In 2015, the Community Development Department (CDD) met with members of the community to discuss potential future uses for the site, and the general notion of passive open space was primarily discussed.

For more information, please contact Gary Chan at 617/349-4603 or gchan@cambridgema.gov.