Take a look inside the First Apartment Building Coming to Cambridge Crossing

It seems like every few months it’s announced that a new lab space is going to be built in the Boston area, prompting the inevitable reaction from harried tenants: “Great, but where will all the people attracted by these lab jobs live? Here’s at least one answer: a new apartment building in East Cambridge, built in an up-and-coming neighborhood already home to several healthcare and technology employers.

LCOR, a real estate investment, development and management firm, along with real estate firm DivcoWest, recently announced the launch of the leasing of Park 151, a 20-story, 468-unit mixed-income building. David Sigman, executive vice president and principal at LCOR, says the plan is to do a full lease in June, but they’ve already signed some tenants as people are eager to take a chance at new homes in another use packed area.

“We’ve been approached by tenants who either work in the area or live in one of the buildings near us,” says Sigman. “We’re sort of the first new building in East Cambridge for quite some time. (We) see a need to catch up in this area.”

Park 151 will officially open in September. The building offers a mix of three bedroom-to-studio units with 392 market units, 54 affordable units and 22 penthouses. Located in East Cambridge, just a few steps from the new Lechmere station and the headquarters of a number of well-known technology and healthcare companies. And it’s one of the first residential developments at Cambridge Crossing, an emerging development led by DivcoWest that promises 4.5 million square feet of commercial, hospitality, retail, residential and green space on 43 acres.

With the opening of this new building, Sigman says they are introducing the area to not just new housing, but housing designed to meet the needs of young professionals. More than half of the units in the building are studios, he says, a decision made taking into account that many of the younger people drawn to the area want their own space. To keep up with current job trends, Park 151 will also offer work-from-home workspaces within the building, including conference rooms and lounge areas. And the entire building is wired for Internet access, so you’ll have WiFi whether you’re working from your bedroom, in a lounge, or by the pool. Plus, residents can cut the cord and rely on the internet in their building, as if offering washers and dryers in the unit wasn’t enough of a draw.

“We felt in a way that we were competing with the seaport and other more established neighborhoods,” says Sigman. “We had to create something competitive with this type of product. It’s one of the most beautiful buildings we’ve ever built. But that was on purpose. It’s designed to hold its own against some of the best buildings in Boston.”

Outside of each unit, residents enjoy a range of amenities including various outdoor living spaces. There is a roof garden with lots of greenery surrounding a fire pit with built in seating, whilst a pool deck is fitted with a lounge area and BBQ and cooking equipment for residents to enjoy a weekend barbecue. And for those who want to get their steps closer to home, there are also fitness options in the form of an outdoor yoga terrace with an indoor component and a general gym.

Then there are the other components of the neighborhood. Companies such as Philips North America, Cerevel Therapeutics, Bristol Myers Squibb and Sanofi are all tenants of the Cambridge Crossing commercial space. Meanwhile, retail offerings include restaurants like The Lexington, with its rooftop terrace and modern American cuisine, and Cafe Beatrice, which offers coffee and pastries. Sigman says Park 151 itself will also have four retail spaces spread over 19,000 square feet on the building’s ground floor, where they are considering adding a coffee shop, pub, restaurant and daycare.

Within Cambridge Crossing there is even more retail and more service-oriented businesses to come, adds Sigman, building on the promise of an already thriving neighbourhood. And so you don’t have to worry about too many buildings, the development also maintains dedicated green spaces, 11 acres of which are adjacent to the new building. There is also a 5 acre track with a waterway for concerts and fitness classes, and a dog park. It is as they said The Wizard of Oz: If you’re looking to your heart’s content, you don’t need to go further than your own backyard.

“It’s a pretty complete environment,” adds Sigman. “You can live and work in the building. Cambridge Crossing itself has a lot of retail outlets, a lot of food outlets… It’s just a very convenient place to live.”