Groundbreaking Mixed-use

Nauset Breaks Ground on Mixed-Use Development

605 Concord rendering

Cambridge, MA – Construction is underway for 605 Concord, a mixed-use transit-oriented development that will deliver 49 apartment units above 2,500sf of street-level retail space to the Fresh Pond neighborhood of Cambridge.

The construction manager is Needham-based Nauset Construction, and the developer is Acorn Holdings LLC. The development is located near public outdoor recreational spaces, stores, restaurants, and public transit including Fresh Pond Park, Danehy Field, Alewife Brook Parkway Shopping Center, Fresh Pond Mall, an MBTA bus stop and the Alewife Red Line Station.

Designed by Piatt Associates, the 69,000sf, 6-story, 605 Concord community will be comprised of a mix of studio, one-, two-, and three-bedroom units, with 15% of the units designated as affordable. Many of the apartments will include balconies or rooftop terraces with views of the park and reservoir. The building’s exterior facade will feature a mix of cementitious, metal, and masonry siding, and the ground floor will feature a continuous 12-foot-high glass storefront. Designed to meet City of Cambridge LEED standards, the building envelope will exceed the energy code requirements with efficient heating, cooling, and fresh-air intake systems. Plumbing fixtures will meet low-use water standards and appliances will be Energy Star certified. The rooftop is designed to receive solar panels and green roof plantings.

The building will offer residents a host of common area amenities including a below-grade parking garage, lobby lounge, bike storage/repair area, and dog washing/grooming station. The units will feature a combination of tile and plank flooring, quartz countertops, shaker-style white finish cabinetry, and stainless-steel appliances.

Construction is anticipated to be completed in summer of 2024.

Construction on this zero-lot line site, in a highly trafficked, dense urban neighborhood with limited staging and laydown area will present some coordination and logistical challenges; conditions which Nauset and its subcontracting partners are accustomed to.

“Our extensive experience building a variety of projects in the City of Cambridge has made us a go-to construction manager for highly complex, urban infill projects,” said Anthony Papantonis, president of Nauset Construction. “And having previously worked with both Acorn and Piatt on multiple developments is a huge plus as our teams have developed a synergy over the years.”

“With its close proximity to Fresh Pond, Alewife Station, and the wealth of neighborhood shopping and dining amenities, we’re confident that 605 Concord will replicate the success of our other developments (Park 77, Park 87 and 603 Concord) in the Fresh Pond neighborhood,” said Phil Terzis, VP of development for Acorn Holdings. “As traffic returns to pre-pandemic levels, housing options located near transit hubs become even more attractive to tenants.”