An all-affordable apartment building is moving forward at 2072 Massachusetts Ave. under zoning changes made since its first version was withdrawn in August 2021 – then as high as nine stories with 49 homes, now 12 stories with 73 homes that would become available within four years.
The project awaits additional funding from the Cambridge Affordable Housing Trust and an official zoning certification from the city.
The proposal is at Massachusetts Avenue and Walden Street near Porter Square in North Cambridge, replacing the Darul Kabab restaurant and parking lot. The proposed building features a rooftop garden, bike parking and recreation spaces, some that may be open to nonresidents along with tenants. Developers plan to use low-carbon materials and all electric energy.
The development team of Capstone Communities, Hope Real Estate Enterprises and MPZ Development presented updated plans and addressed neighbors’ concerns at a community meeting May 29, explaining that changes to the Affordable Housing Overlay zoning allow 100 percent affordable housing buildings to reach 12 stories along major Cambridge corridors.
“We’re back here with a new design, a new concept, but the mission remains the same, which is to provide really high-quality affordable housing to folks that really need it,” Jason Korb of Capstone Communities said at the meeting.
Height concerns
Some residents pushed back on the building’s design and height as inappropriate for the area, as well as its lack of parking. Others applauded the project as a necessary addition to the community.
“This sounds like you’re just trying to maximize your potential revenue with a 12-story building whose height is two and a half times the Russell Senior Center,” one person said, referring to the structure next door at 2050 Massachusetts Ave. to call the proposed building “just very out of place.”
https://embed.documentcloud.org/documents/25987473-250701-2072-massachusetts-avenue/?embed=1
Some speakers suggested a decrease in the number of apartments to between 30 and 45 units. Developers pushed back. “From an urban planning standpoint and urban design standpoint, based on all those facts and circumstances, it’s appropriate,” Korb said of the size of the project. He described the project as a directive from the city to increase affordable family housing.
Other neighbors noted the benefits of large development projects that bring more people to the area and encourage local commerce. “We are going to have a much more tall and variant kind of neighborhood,” one said. “There’ll be more vibrancy.”
Mixed reviews on design
Developers introduced detailed design plans incorporating feedback from an earlier community meeting and the city’s urban design staff. They are prioritizing large windows, wood materials, warm neutral colors and a contemporary aesthetic. “We’re setting out to design an elegant, light and airy building that looks forward,” said Jason Forney, lead architect for the project with Bruner/Cott Architects.
As is often heard in new-development meetings, neighbors are concerned with the modern look and size of the building. “Architecturally it’s not attractive to me. I think that it doesn’t fit in with the historic nature of Cambridge,” said Pamela Winters, who formerly served on the Cambridge Planning Board. Others called the design “industrial” and “too geometric.”
Developers said they are open to input on colors, textures and materials, though some at the meeting praised the proposed look – and the use of mass timber, a wood construction product created by laminating timber together to create larger beams and increase durability.
Parking and accessibility
In accordance with zoning policies, the developers are not required to provide parking. Because they are building in a transit-friendly location near Porter Square, developers estimate half of building residents will have cars, adding approximately 35 vehicles to the neighborhood. A traffic study found sufficient on-street parking within a quarter- to a half-mile radius of the site, the team said.
This raised another concern for neighbors: The Russell apartments next door, home to disabled and elderly residents who could be affected by limited parking and increased traffic.
Developers say they will widen Walden Street and move part of the sidewalk onto the 2072 Mass. Ave. property to help ease traffic impacts. The building’s main entrance has been moved to Massachusetts Avenue from Walden Street, a change inspired by feedback from earlier community meetings.
“I just wanted to thank you for being responsive, and to say that I think this is going to be really great for Porter Square,” said the resident who initially proposed the idea. “I’m excited about the project.”
Affordable housing
The current development plans meet the minimum state guidelines for housing for families in the “extremely low income” tier, determined as earning 30 percent of the median income for the area. This includes an income range of $39,000 for two household members and up to $53,000 for a family of five. (Overall, 71 percent of the project’s units have two or three bedrooms meant to be useful for families.)
Twelve of the 73 units at 2072 Massachusetts Ave. will be for families in that bracket. “We would really like to make a concerted effort to add many more,” Korb said.
The property would be managed by Peabody Properties, which provides resident services such as home care visits and wellness programs. “We have had residents that have struggled, and we don’t want that, we want them to succeed,” Korb said.
Process and timeline
Though the project is designed to be built “as of right” – permitted under existing zoning regulations – developers say it awaits an official city approval as meeting affordable housing guidelines. The team also anticipates a hearing with the Cambridge Affordable Housing Trust for an addition of approximately $14 million. The total project is estimated at $70 million, primarily sourced through public funding from a federal loan and through the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit.
The development team plans to submit applications “detailing specific parts of the project and compiling information” to the Community Development Department and Affordable Housing Trust by the end of July, Hope said Monday.
Since the May meeting, developers met with Russell apartment residents and the Porter Square Neighborhood Association to continue outreach. They answered further questions about the corner where it meets the Russell building, which has raised concerns about accessibility for the senior residents. They also addressed worries over the construction process and talked about “ways we could increase communication and what things might be able to support them during that time,” Hope said in a phone call.
Construction would begin in mid-2027 at the earliest, and residents could move in around mid-2029. Hope said the team is in contact with neighbors but does not plan on further community meetings as the development continues. The Community Development Department meeting to certify the development will be open to public comment.
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This is great news! Too bad it’s taken this long to come this far, but still a good step forward
Congratulations to the development company and 73 families that will be able to live in the new apartments. Great and much needed addition to our Cambridge housing stock.
Fantastic news. This is the type of development our city should focus on: high density, major corridors, near public transportation, affordability-focused… Never made sense to me why we have wasted so much time on trying to torch the neighborhoods… Fingers crossed this gets done!
This is a vital project that directly addresses Cambridge’s acute affordable housing crisis, adding 73 affordable homes—including 12 deeply affordable units—to a severely undersupplied market.
Opposition based on vague claims about “neighborhood character” or being “out of place” is subjective and can be used to block any project.
Parking complaints are similarly misplaced. People need homes more than free public land to store private vehicles. The site’s proximity to Porter Square supports a car-light lifestyle and aligns with city policy for transit-rich corridors. Subsidizing parking would only encourage more driving, traffic, and pollution.
This is a necessary and thoughtful step toward addressing Cambridge’s housing needs, climate goals, and equity commitments. Delaying or downsizing it would mean fewer families housed and a missed opportunity for sustainable, inclusive development.
Does anyone know why it would take another 2 years to start construction? That seems so long
Because of the cost of housing, Cambridge firefighters can’t afford to live here. Why doesn’t the city subsidize their rent and the rent of those who also work for the city?
We need the economic middle class families to remain (and come back) to Cambridge, if we are going to continue to have a diverse city.
The city should be willing to use it’s funds for these people.
its, not tis or it’s :)
Poor Bono Publicoon Wednesday, July 2, 2025 at 2:19 am
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As is often the case, the renderings for this project underestimate the true impact of this 12-story building in terms of height and scale. There are no images whatsoever showing the impact of a large “wall” immediately adjacent to the Russell Apartments Garden, which will overwhelm this otherwise lovely amenity for those living in the *already existing* affordable housing next door. Must we destroy existing affordable housing in Cambridge for an oversized project only 12 of whose units are for lower income residents, and 30 percent of whose “qualified applicants” will not even have to either “live or work” (currently) in Cambridge? Some asked if units in a building of this size could truly be considered appropriate for actual “families.” Smaller unit sizes would make much better sense here. “Pack’em and stack’em” is neither good design nor good planning.
This is amazing. I’m so glad housing projects can finally move forward in Cambridge.
Progress at last!
Great to see zoning reform working and Cambridge building the affordable housing we so badly need.
So much for the fearmongering that reform would lead to a wave of McMansions—nothing but hyperbolic nonsense.
And now we’re supposed to believe a “wall” will somehow “destroy” the affordable housing next door? This kind of histrionics only weakens NIMBY arguments. Families shouldn’t have homes because a wall might shade a garden?
Don’t dismiss the project because it includes “only” 12 affordable units. That’s 12 families who will finally have a place they can afford. And market-rate housing helps too—by boosting supply, it puts downward pressure on prices.
It is great to see progress and to see zoning reform working as planned, and not as opponents predicted.
FYI. Cambridge has no vouchers to give out for this project. The Developers will have to rely on the state for any “deeply affordable “ vouchers. All levels of affordable housing are needed for our city but I wouldn’t be so quick to think folks on CHA housing lists will be able to get in. There is a minimum income requirement unless vouchers come through.
First, let’s see if the numbers actually work, and the developers can get a construction loan. With higher interest rates and construction costs, they’ll need to prove financial viability. I’m rooting for them, but it’s not a sure thing.
Second, the project will need support from the Affordable Housing Trust, on below-market terms. At the end of the day, this project–and others like it–will need a significant amount of public-sector financial support to be viable, even with more favorable zoning terms. The public debate has tended to focus on zoning, but financial support is equally important.
@ Hockey Puck
What is the public-sector financial support that you are referring to ?
Fair question. I was referring to the Affordable Housing Trust. My understanding (subject to correction) is that it is administered by the City.
the white grid emphasizes the big glass windows. I don’t know about you, but I have lived in an apt that reminds me of a hotel with very little privacy. And I don’t want to see actual living spaces and activities from the sidewalk. Glass is not the great think people think it is.
@Bono if you’re worried about the new development blocking the view from the building next door, worry no more. There are no windows on that wall facing the adjacent lot, nothing will be obscured
@Poor Bono Publico
My friend, the garden has a southeastern exposure. It’ll get sunlight through the morning and most of the afternoon, year round. The only time it’ll probably be an issue is on winter evenings when it’s too cold to lounge outside anyway.
Re contextual rendering, the developers uploaded their presentation from October 7, 2025. with lots of perspectives from far away. Pg. 49 specifically has a view from the back garden. It
https://www.aptsat2072massave.com/updates