Urban Spaces to break ground on Kendall East mixed-use complex - a mixed-use apartment complex comprised of 136 units and 14,800 s/f of retail

Cambridge, MA Urban Spaces, a commercial real estate development company, has begun demolition on its former headquarters to make way for Kendall East, a mixed-use apartment complex comprised of 136 units and 14,800 s/f of retail. The site, which encompasses 99-119 First St., 18 Hurley St., and 29 Charles St., is located across from CambridgeSide, a mixed-use one million s/f shopping center, and is located near Kendall Sq., Lechmere Station, and Cambridge Crossing. 

Designed by architectural firm Perkins Eastman, Kendall East is set to begin construction of the new buildings this month. The larger of the two pet-friendly buildings in the complex will include 118 apartments above 14,800 s/f of ground floor retail and 23 surface parking spaces to support the retail. This parcel was once home to interconnected office and retail buildings (including the Urban Spaces headquarters and Petco). An additional 18 residential units will be built on the adjacent parcel. The two buildings will share a two-level underground garage with 142 parking and 159 bicycle spaces that will be built underneath a half acre open air green space. The space will include a bike and pedestrian path that will connect Charles and Hurley St. Construction is expected to be completed in 2020. 

 The complex will be comprised of a four-story and a six-story wood frame building constructed over steel and concrete podium. The 136 apartments will be a mix of studio, one, two, and three-bedroom units, with 16 designated as affordable.  

Kendall East is an integral component of the First St. Corridor, a $275 million development that is adding much-needed vitality to the one mile stretch between the Lechmere MBTA station and Kendall Sq.–the center of the city’s life science and technology hub–with a blend of residential, retail, office, and open space. When completed, the development will add 53,000 s/f of office space, 50,000 s/f of retail, 250 parking spaces, and over 250 housing units to the area.