Cambridge Planning Board approves final design report for 71-unit Mass Ave building

CAMBRIDGE — May 12, 2026 — Cambridge Planning Board closes design review of first non-AHO advisory consultation project at 1740 Massachusetts Avenue. The board voted 6-0 at its May 12 meeting to conclude the second and final advisory consultation for a proposed six-story, 71-unit mixed-use building by Old North Development Company, submitting a final report to the superintendent of buildings. Architect Peter Quinn of Peter Quinn Architects presented design updates including facade setbacks at a planned ground-floor coffee shop, cargo-bike-capacity elevators, a significant reduction in rooftop condensers by switching studio units to wall-vented Italian-made Epica passive-house systems, and a 2,814-square-foot green roof. Board members, voting 6-0 after a roll call, praised the team's responsiveness but directed continued attention to blank south and west facades, the potential for a color-differentiated sixth floor to reduce what Associate Member Dan Anderson called a "boxy" appearance, and a proposed botanical twin-flower mural that Chair Tom Senevich described as giving the building "a sense of place and belonging" tied to Cambridge history. The project's 64,330-square-foot gross floor area includes commercial space on the basement and first floor and 75 long-term bicycle parking spaces.