Historic Documents
In 1965, the CRA and the City of Cambridge adopted the Kendall Square Urban Renewal Plan with a primary goal of providing to NASA land for an Electronic Research Center. In order to transform the 43-acres of urban blight into vacant land suitable for development, the CRA acquired 70 parcels of land, relocated 100 businesses, demolished 50 buildings, filled the Broad Canal, and constructed public infrastructure improvements and roadways. In 1970, NASA abandoned its operations in the project and transferred its interests to the U.S. Department of Transportation, to create the Volpe Transportation Research Center. The CRA retained the advisory panel services of the Urban Land Institute (ULI), which concluded that “Cambridge Center is a unique opportunity area, one that should be reserved to maximize its locational advantages.” In 1978, the CRA designated Boston Properties as the developer of Cambridge Center.
Below are documents related to the KSURP and its implementation over the past 49 years.
Kendall Square Urban Renewal District Certificate of Non-Cash Local Grant-in-Aid
Land Disposition Documents for Public Disclosure Part 1
Land Disposition Documents for Public Disclosure Part 2
Wellington-Harrington Neighborhood Renewal Plan
Evaluation of the Redevelopment Potential of Cambridge Center in the KSURA