Nauset Breaks Ground on Alewife Mixed-Use Apartment Community

CAMBRIDGE — Construction is underway for 605 Concord, a mixed-use transit-oriented development that will deliver 49 apartment units above 2,500 square feet of street-level retail space to the Fresh Pond neighborhood. The construction manager is Needham-based Nauset Construction, and the developer is Acorn Holdings LLC. The development is conveniently located near public outdoor recreational spaces, stores, restaurants, and public transit including Fresh Pond Park, Danehy Field, Alewife Brook Parkway Shopping Center, Fresh Pond Mall, an MBTA bus stop and the Alewife Red Line Station.

“With its close proximity to Fresh Pond, Alewife Station, and the wealth of neighborhood shopping and dining amenities, we’re confident that 605 Concord will replicate the success of our other developments (Park 77, Park 87 and 603 Concord) in the Fresh Pond neighborhood,” said Phil Terzis, VP of Development for Acorn Holdings. “As traffic returns to pre-pandemic levels, housing options located near transit hubs become even more attractive to tenants.”

Designed by Piatt Associates, the 69,000 square foot, six-story, 605 Concord community will be comprised of a mix of studio, one-, two-, and three-bedroom units, with 15% of the units designated as affordable. Many of the apartments will include balconies or roof-top terraces with spectacular views of the park and reservoir. The building’s exterior façade will feature a mix of cementitious, metal, and masonry siding. The ground floor will feature a continuous 12-foot-high glass storefront that will enliven the street and terraces throughout the day. Designed to meet City of Cambridge LEED standards, the building envelope will exceed the energy code requirements with efficient heating, cooling, and fresh-air intake systems. Plumbing fixtures will meet low-use water standards and appliances will be Energy Star certified. The rooftop is designed to receive solar panels and green roof plantings.

Construction on this zero-lot line site, in a highly trafficked, dense urban neighborhood with limited staging and laydown area will present some coordination and logistical challenges; conditions which Nauset and its subcontracting partners are accustomed to. Nauset has remained active in the Cambridge market for nearly two decades, completing over a dozen projects across the asset spectrum, including office, hotel, retail, mixed-use, and multi-unit residential.

Construction is anticipated to be completed in summer of 2024.

605 Concord, Cambridge MA