Less than three-years after completing the Bishop Allen Apartments, a historic restoration project of 4 buildings with 32-units of affordable housing for Just-A-Start, a Cambridge-based non-profit, Curtis Construction was back in the neighborhood as part of Twining Properties’ Mass + Main Project. The three building, 307,000 square feet, 308-unit mixed-use project is located on two city blocks on the corner of Massachusetts Avenue and Main Street in Central Square, Cambridge. The project, now being marketed as Market Central, was developed in an effort to revitalize a formerly underutilized end of Central Square into a lively residential, mixed-income community with retail uses that serve Central Square and adjacent communities.

As part of the overall project, 47 Bishop Allen Drive, a lot adjacent to the main site containing a condemned 3-level parking garage, would house 23- of the 308-units. Twining Properties entrusted Curtis Construction Company as Construction Managers for the garage demolition and construction of a new 4-story, 25,000 square foot multifamily residential building. Curtis started demolition of the garage in the fall of 2017.

Having skillfully maneuvered the many complexities associated with working in the very busy Central Square neighborhood during the Bishop Allen Apartments project, the Curtis team was able to develop a strategy to demo the 3-story, 33,000 sf condemned parking garage without greatly disrupting traffic, damaging the abutting buildings or disturbing the neighbors.

“Coordination with the City, subcontractors and abutters was paramount in ensuring the initial phase of this portion of the project started smoothly. Assuaging any anxiety the neighbors may have had about the demolition of a building literally inches from their homes, never mind the expected year of ongoing construction, was important to ensure a cooperative relationship moving forward,” said John Curtis, President of Curtis Construction.

Due to the tight nature of the building site, close proximity to abutters and restricted site-access during peak traffic times, a strategy was developed and communicated to all parties so that every effort was made during the demolition and construction phases to reduce disruption to the neighbors and the potential for damage to the abutting properties. Deliveries and heavy equipment were strategically scheduled on weekends and off-hours to reduce the disruption to the congested area’s heavy traffic pattern.