Kendall Square Construction Projects

Kendall Square Construction Update

The following is an outline of the active construction projects in Kendall Square, including private development projects and City of Cambridge infrastructure projects. To stay up-to-date on the projects listed below, please sign up for the newsletter. For questions, please contact Kristen Kelleher at kkelleher@cambridgema.gov.

This webpage is updated regularly. The last update was November 1, 2024.

Project List 

Click any of the below projects to learn more and view upcoming impacts: 

CambridgeSide

This project involves repurposing the existing site to develop a mixed-use location including retail, work and living spaces. This work will include the sidewalk on First Street and a small portion of Lechmere Canal Park.  New England Development is the developer for this project.

Upcoming Impacts

• Lechmere Canal Park work is ongoing
• Utility work on Land Boulevard began in August 2023 and will continue through early 2024. Final repaving is anticipated Spring 2025.

SoMa Site 2 - 200 Main Street

Located at 200 Main Street, SoMa Site 2, a mixed-use building, will incorporate the existing structure at 200 Main Street (known as the Kendall Building) with a 12-story addition providing new commercial laboratory and office spaces. This work includes demolition of the Site 2 building on Wadsworth Street and reconstruction of Wadsworth Street. The contractor for Site 2 is John Moriarty & Associates and for Sites 3 through 5 is Turner Construction.  

Upcoming Impacts 

• The east sidewalk on Wadsworth Street between Main and Amherst Streets will remain closed to facilitate work on the site. The west sidewalk is open for pedestrian use.

Headhouses of MBTA Kendall/MIT Stations

The North Side of the MBTA Kendall/MIT Headhouse is being reconstructed as part of the project at 325 Main Street.

Upcoming Impacts  

• Pedestrian detours have been implemented.  

Kendall Common (Former Volpe Site)

MIT is proceeding with the creation of a dynamic mixed-use project on the site. The master plan for the site development was approved in 2021 by the Planning Board after a community engagement process. The proposed development includes nearly 3 million square feet of space providing retail and restaurants, market-rate and affordable housing units, a community center, and science and innovation facilities. The vibrant, mixed-use center will also provide pedestrian links and publicly-accessible open space, including a large park at the corner of Third Street and Broadway, a linear park adjacent to Sixth Street/Loughrey Way, a park adjacent to the community center, and a park on Binney Street.

Upcoming Impacts

• Onsite Utility work has commenced as of October 2024 nearest to corner of Third Street and Broadway
• Site fencing will start to be erected within the Volpe property as preparations for building demolition and subsurface investigatory work is ongoing.
• Utility work on Potter Street and Broadway to support demolition of existing structures is scheduled for November

Greater Cambridge Energy Project

Eversource proposes to construct a new underground substation in Kendall Square, along with eight new underground transmission lines interconnecting to existing substations in the surrounding area. The project is expected to bolster system reliability, meet growing energy needs, and further facilitate access to clean energy resources. 

Upcoming Impacts

• The State Utility Siting Board public hearing process was completed at the end of October 2023.
  • A draft decision has been issued
• Updates on project activities can found here: Greater Cambridge Energy Project | Eversource
• Subsurface Investigation work has commenced in January 2024 throughout the project area. Test pits and soil borings to support the project will continue. 

330 Third Street at Kendall Street

The new building at the northeast corner of the intersection of Third and Kendall Streets will be a 500,000-square-foot, 16-story, mixed-use structure including laboratory and office space, a performance center, and a ground-level indoor/outdoor public space.

Upcoming Impacts

• Building construction is ongoing
• Overhead protection is installed along Third Street frontage to maintain pedestrian access.

The Boston Properties MXD Project

Upgrades to the current site, Blue Garage at 290 Binney Street, will consist of an Eversource underground substation, a reconstructed Blue Garage below grade, a 420,000-square-foot housing building, two new 400,000 square foot commercial buildings, and a new open space with circulation connections located between Binney Street, Galileo Galilei Way, and Broadway. 

Upcoming Impacts

• The current work zones described below will remain in place through 2024:
  • Work zone on Binney Street: Will reduce vehicular traffic to one lane in each direction at Sixth Street. A pedestrian detour will be in place set up at that location. 
  • Work zone on Broadway: Broadway, between Galileo Galilei Way and Ames Street will be reconfigured on the weekend of November 22^nd.  Vehicular travel will be one way eastbound, and a separated two-way bike facility will be established on the on the southern side of the block.  Delays and detours to be expected during implementation.  Detour expected to be in place for at least a year. 
• Building construction is ongoing through 2024. There will be heavy trucking around the site for the duration of this work.
  • Work will take place Monday to Saturday from 6:00 am - 11:00 pm through Fall 2024.
  • Project team has approved Noise Variances for work outside of normal working hours.