Healthpeak’s purchases near Alewife are reminiscent of when the Alexandria real estate investment trust bought up 15 acres in East Cambridge and the East Cambridge Planning Team negotiated for community benefits. This time, let’s start talks with half of built square footage being housing units.

Shovels are in the ground at a library park paid for by the East Cambridge Open Space Trust in not just money, but through the thousands of hours worked by unpaid volunteers in endless meetings, emailing, record keeping, pleading and persisting. These local heroes cannot be thanked enough.