Cambridge Council Steers 25 Lowell Street Away From Housing, Toward Nonprofit Use

CAMBRIDGE — April 6, 2026 — Cambridge council signals 25 Lowell Street should stay in nonprofit use, redirecting west Cambridge housing ambitions to 185 Larch Road. At an April 6 roundtable working session, Mayor Sumbul Siddiqui and seven colleagues heard a presentation from City Manager Ian Huang, Deputy City Manager Kathy Watkins, and Assistant City Manager Melissa Peters on six city-owned properties, with staff recommending conversion of the historic 25 Lowell Street schoolhouse — home to the New School of Music and Cambridge Arts Association since 1980 under a rolling lease generating roughly $20,000 a year — to 20 or more affordable housing units. Councillors from across the body resisted that recommendation, with Councillor Marc McGovern arguing the 20 units could be "made up in other places" and Councillor Paul Flaherty saying the New School's 700 students represented "a greater community benefit." Watkins summarized the emerging direction: "If the desire is to continue to support non-profit use there, then the housing priority in west Cambridge really shifts onto the large road conversation." No formal votes were taken; staff will return with a formal disposition package for council approval before any process begins. The meeting also confirmed forward movement on 139 Bishop Allen Drive for 100 percent affordable housing following settlement of a decade-long eminent domain lawsuit, and flagged 205 Western Avenue, 105 Windsor Street, and 3 Bigelow Street for a broader portfolio review expected in late fall 2026.