Nauset breaks ground on Acorn Holdings’ 49-unit 605 Concord

Cambridge, MA 605 Concord, a mixed-use transit-oriented development will deliver 49 apartment units above 2,500 s/f 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 located near public outdoor recreational spaces, stores, restaurants, and public transit including Fresh Pond Park, Danehy Field, Alewife Brook Pkwy. 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 s/f, 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 apartments will include balconies or rooftop terraces with 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. Designed to meet the city’s 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.

The building will offer residents common area amenities including a below-grade parking garage, lobby lounge, bike storage/repair area, and a dog washing/grooming station. The units will feature a combination of tile and plank flooring, quartz countertops, shaker-style white finish cabinetry, and stainless-steel appliances.

Construction on this zero-lot line site, in a 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.

“Our extensive experience building a variety of projects in the City of Cambridge has made us a go-to construction manager for highly complex, urban infill projects,” said Anthony Papantonis, president of Nauset Construction. “And having previously worked with both Acorn and Piatt on multiple developments is a huge plus as our teams have developed a synergy over the years.”

Construction is anticipated to be completed in summer of 2024.

605 Concord is the fourth multi-unit residential/mixed-use collaboration between Nauset and Acorn in the last decade. The two firms have teamed up on the redevelopment of the former Rounder Records headquarters site into 37 apartments in Porter Square, named 7 Cameron; the integration of a new, 46-unit, mixed-use community connected to the historic St. James Episcopal Church and new parish hall called St. James Place; and Park 77, a 93-unit apartment complex located in the Fresh Pond neighborhood.