Cambridge city officials say they remain committed to improving the Alewife area despite the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s retreat from a redevelopment of the area around the Alewife T station and its deteriorating garage.
“Alewife remains a critical gateway to Cambridge, and the community has been clear that the existing garage requires significant attention and the area needs thoughtful, long‑term investment,” said Jeremy Warnick, a spokesman for the city, in a statement. “We will continue advocating for improvements to the Alewife garage, advancing planning efforts for the surrounding neighborhood, and pursuing opportunities that support housing, transportation, climate resilience, and economic vitality.”
The MBTA said Monday it will no longer be seeking a partner to help redevelop the area it owns around the Alewife T station, which includes a five-level parking garage in need of refurbishment. An MBTA spokesperson told StreetsblogMASS that the cost of the project was simply too high.
“Current market conditions are not favorable to maximizing the property’s value for transportation priorities,” the spokesperson wrote in an email. The spokesperson cited a “major market shift” in costs of labor and materials that affected the feasibility of the project.
The T issued a request for proposals in late 2024 but did not receive a response from developers that was in line with its goals. Its bid solicitation read in part, “The MBTA seeks to create a world class public transportation hub through a future-forward redevelopment project, to enhance the public realm in the station area, and to contribute to economic development and sustainable growth in the community.”
While plans for a large-scale makeover are no longer in the works, “The property value at Alewife remains strong and the MBTA is committed to working with the City of Cambridge and other stakeholders to improve the station in a way that benefits the community,” the MBTA spokesperson wrote.
The MBTA did not immediately respond to requests for further information.
While no exact plans for the site were ever developed, MBTA Chief of Transit-Oriented Development Scott Botsworth indicated during a meeting in Aug. 2024 that the MBTA wanted to take the 2,700-spot parking garage off its balance sheet.
“We envision our partner owning and operating our parking in the future. We think that’s the way to go, but it’s not set,” Botsworth said at the time. The MBTA’s efforts to address the parking lot’s structural problems were triggered in 2018 after a chunk of concrete fell, crushing a parked car. The MBTA has spent the last seven years working on repairs and has a programmed spend of over $23 million for further repairs over the next five years.
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Good. There are areas of the MBTA system which are far more deserving of renovation than Alewife.
Look no further than Central Square in Lynn, MA.
Without a proper commuter rail stop since 2023 due to “safety issues from deterioration”, the parking structure is in equally bad shape. So bad that M-ah-ky M-ah-K (Mark Walberg for you out-of-towners) filmed scenes for his latest gritty crime/action movie. (Is it just the same movie over and over with a different title. Possibly)
The surrounding businesses have collapsed due to the loss of foot traffic and the area turned into a no-mans land of drug use and dog poop.
So get in line Cambridge. When it comes to “equity and inclusion” vis-a-vis investment from the MBTA there are communities which are far more deserving.