Planning board, CRA approve major amendment to Volpe infill plan allowing 149,000 sq ft shift to 105 Broadway

The Cambridge Planning Board and the Cambridge Redevelopment Authority on Oct. 28 approved a major amendment to the Volpe Infill Development Concept Plan that lets Boston Properties (BXP) reallocate roughly 149,000 square feet of approved commercial gross floor area from the previously approved 250 Binney Street building to a potential redevelopment of 105 Broadway.

The amendment, described by the applicant as “IDC Amendment No. 3,” preserves the project’s overall gross floor area cap but creates two alternate build paths for Phase 4: (1) proceed with the approved 250 Binney (the baseline) or (2) build a smaller 250 Binney and move the remaining 149,000 square feet to a newly redeveloped 105 Broadway (the alternative). Jeff Lundberg, senior vice president of development with Boston Properties, told the boards the amendment would not increase net GFA and that the team would select a path later during design development.

Why it matters: The change shifts where new height and mass would be located within the Kendall Square redevelopment block and prompted detailed review of massing, shadow impacts on the central plaza, ground-floor retail/lobby relationships, bike parking, and infrastructure implications. The boards approved the amendment after hearing design refinements and additional shadow and wind analysis from the applicant and…