The new BXP Life Sciences Center (Kendall Square MXD Substation Plan) is well underway and will be home to one of the first underground substations in the United States. A collaboration between BXP, Cambridge Redevelopment Authority (CRA), Eversource, and the City of Cambridge, this advanced substation will provide energy to Cambridge and surrounding areas, and its state-of-the-art facility incorporates advanced technologies to increase energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions. In addition to the substation, the project will feature two new commercial buildings totaling ~400,000 SF, a 420,000 SF residential building, and new open space.
“This project is an amazing case study demonstrating how public and private can work together to bridge the gap between fossil [fuels] and clean energy,” said Bryan Koop Executive Vice President for BXP’s Boston Region. “The transition from fossil to clean energy cannot take place without the reality of new infrastructure.”
In 2020, in response to the City Manager’s request to find an alternative location for a proposed Eversource substation located at 135 Fulkerson Street in Cambridge, BXP and Eversource worked closely together, in coordination with the CRA to develop a creative solution for a preferable location on the site of the Blue Garage in Kendall Square. The solution? Innovation and collaboration on a first-in-the-nation relocation of a substation below-grade enabling creation of new open space to better serve community needs.
“When the community raised concerns about the first proposed substation location, the City, CRA, BXP and Eversource came together to find a creative solution to this critical piece of regional infrastructure,” said Tom Evans Cambridge Redevelopment Authority Executive Director adding “we pushed technical boundaries and challenged the multi-disciplinary design and development team to build a first-in-the-nation underground substation that leverages the value of a mixed-use project in Kendall Square.”
The project incorporates advanced technologies and innovative design features including, for example, green roofs and walls, public art installations, and green space to reduce energy consumption, promote environmental sustainability, and enhance aesthetic appeal.
Learn more about this project here.