Working with the Cambridge Community
In
conversations with the LNWG and regular attendance with the Agassiz
Neighborhood Council and the Porter Square Neighbors Association,
Lesley’s planning has incorporated numerous community priorities,
including:
 | Improve Open SpaceThe
current plan includes open space comprising 33% of the site, in excess
of zoning requirements, and Lesley is engaging a landscape architect to
ensure the plaza in front of the project is warm, welcoming and an
enhancement of the Massachusetts Avenue experience. In addition, as part
of AIB planning, Lesley will make improvements to the rear parking lot
edge of University Hall – creating a greener edge along Roseland Street. Enhance Massachusetts AvenueThree
accessible ground floor uses (AIB’s premier art gallery, an arts
commons and an arts library) will form a public face and enliven
Massachusetts Avenue with activity, light, and cultural events, further
enhancing the character of Porter Square. Plan Beyond the ProjectIn working with neighbors, Lesley suspended AIB planning in order
to complete a long-range campus plan. The campus plan,
supported by Lesley's neighbors, sets a framework for campus planning
and development at the University. As result of this collaborative
effort, a change in zoning was adopted by the City of Cambridge that
allows AIB's relocation to proceed, within the context of the campus
plan and the University's other properties in Porter Square. |