About the Project

Residences

  • 100% affordable housing development

  • 48 affordable apartment homes, affordable in perpetuity

  • 67% Family - 2 and 3 bedrooms

  • Passive House certification

  • Green roof and rooftop solar

  • ~1050 SF of neighborhood retail, ~535 SF of resident amenity space on Mass Ave

  • 3 accessible parking spaces, 2 drop-off spaces

  • 51 total long term bike parking spaces (48 + 3 tandem)

  • 9 stories along Mass Ave

    5 stories at rear towards Walden St

 
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Sustainability and Resiliency

  • Designed to Passive House standards

  • MA stretch energy code

  • High performance building envelope

  • Green roofs

  • Rooftop solar

  • Encourage transit & biking instead of cars

  • EV charging stations for cars & bikes

  • Reduce heat island effect with light grey roof

  • Consider mass timber structure

  • All-electric HVAC systems

  • EnergyStar appliances

  • LED lighting

  • Protection strategies to reduce the building’s vulnerability to extreme weather

  • Adaptation strategies for changing climate conditions

  • Backup strategies in the case of loss of power / other services

  • Community resiliency through co-operation Resiliency:

  • Pedestrian scaled streetscapes

  • Building materials with fewer toxins and chemicals

  • Daylight and views for residential units

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Public Benefits

Affordable Housing

In the context of Cambridge’s extreme shortage of affordable family housing, 2072 Mass Ave will provide 48 households with access to a desirable, transit oriented, and thriving neighborhood.

• All apartments will be affordable in perpetuity

• 8 apartments at or below 30% AMI (Area Median Income)

  • No minimum household income, maximum household income $30,720 (2 household members) - $41,460 (5 household members)

  • Resident rent portion will not exceed 30% of residents’ adjusted gross income

  • All of these apartments will be set aside for families (2 and 3 bedrooms)

• 40 apartments at or below 60% AMI

  • Maximum household income $53,760 (1 household member) - $82,920 (5 household members)

  • Rents: 1 bed $1,440, 2 bed $1,728, 3 bed $1,995

  • Rent amount includes all utilities (excluding cable/internet)

  • Actual rents and household incomes will most likely be lower than the above since the AMI is projected to decrease prior to building completion

• Resident Selection

  • Initial residents selected by lottery, those not selected will be added to the waitlist

  • Anticipated preference for Cambridge residents and workers for +/- 70% of apartments

  • Market rents at the Wyeth (Porter Square) are $3,600 for 2 bed, and $4,500 for 3 bed (not including utilities)

    • To afford those rents and not be rent burdened, households would need to earn between $152,000 - $190,000 annually

Pedestrian Streetscape

2072 Mass Ave will include pedestrian scaled streetscapes, with a light, airy and rhythmic design that is suspended above the street but anchored at its edges, as well as installation of sidewalk landscaping and paving improvements that will activate and enhance the pedestrian experience.

Retail

Located within walking distance of Porter Square and Davis Square, the 2072 Mass Ave location provides family-friendly amenities including a grocery store, pharmacy, and other community-serving businesses.

Location