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84 and 96 Bishop Allen Drive

The Community Development Department (CDD), in partnership with the Cambridge Redevelopment Authority, has drafted a Request for Information (RFI) for the potential redevelopment of 84 & 96 Bishop Allen Drive. The community identified a strong preference in the Central Square City Lots Study to see these two municipal parking lots transformed into a mixed-use development that includes:

  • a significant amount of affordable housing,
  • a permanent space for arts and culture activities similar to Starlight Square,
  • affordable commercial space,
  • open space, and
  • public parking.

The purpose of the RFI is to seek information that could inform future planning. This RFI does not commit the City to issue a subsequent Request for Proposals (RFP).

 

The Latest

Cover of the 86 & 96 Bishop Allen Drive RFI document

On August 8th, the City released a Request for Information seeking perspectives from the development community on how they would:

Six responses were received by the October 4th deadline from

  • three for-profit developers,
  • two non-profit developers, and
  • one planning and design firm.

A summary memo of the responses was created by City staff and discussed by the City Council on March 31, 2025. A recording of that Council Meeting can be found here.

 

Access the RFI Summary Memo Here 

 

Community Engagement

Project Schedule

Now that the responses to the RFI have been received and evaluated, the City will engage the community to ensure the public has a strong voice in defining the future vision for these sites. The results of this engagement and the information gathered from the RFI will form the basis for any subsequent Request for Proposals (RFP) that might be released. The graphic to the right depicts a generalized project schedule, which may adjust as the process moves forward.

 

Stay Informed

To stay up-to-date about this project and related community events and meetings, please sign up for our Central Square email list.

For additional information, please contact Melissa Peters at mpeters@cambridgema.gov

To stay informed about all things Cambridge, please sign up for the City of Cambridge Daily Update Newsletter.

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