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Cambridge Discovery Park (“CDP” or the “Park”), an approximately 30-acre office and laboratory campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is owned and managed by an affiliate of The Bulfinch Companies (“Bulfinch”), a commercial real estate investment firm headquartered in Needham, MA. Bulfinch acquired the 60-year-old site in 2000 with plans to redevelop and reposition the tired office park into a world-class sustainable urban office and research campus. CDP, formerly known as Acorn Park, was the home of Arthur D. Little, an international management consulting firm, for nearly 50 years.
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The Park is master-planned for six different LEED-certified office and laboratory buildings totaling up to 820,000 sf and two structured parking garages. Today the Park consists of an abundance of green space with walking and bicycle trails as well as two buildings and a parking garage. More specifically: The Smithsonian Building at 150,000sf+/-; The Forrester Building at 200,000sf+/- (LEED Gold certified), and a 650+/- Car Parking Garage. Permits are in place for three to four additional buildings totaling 450,000sf+/- as well as a second structured parking garage.
Cambridge Discovery Park and surrounding Alewife Brook Reservation represents one of the largest campuses in Cambridge (after Harvard and MIT) and is home to world-class tenants including Forrester Research, The Smithsonian Institution Astrophysical Observatory, Siemens, Pfizer, and Genocea Biosciences. The Park offers a unique combination of proximity to Boston and Logan airport via major routes (Route 2, Interstate 95/Route 128), views of the Boston skyline from the upper floors of buildings on site, public transportation (Alewife MBTA station), amenities and services in the immediate area, and an abundance of green space.
History and original uses
The site of Cambridge Discovery Park was used for farming until 1950 when Arthur D. Little, Inc., the world's first management consultancy firm, which pioneered the concept of contracted professional services, bought seven acres of the Massachusetts-owned farmland, and began construction of one of the first post-war suburban office parks. In 1953, the Park opened and was named Acorn Park, based on the Company’s motto: Glandes Sparge Ut Quercus Crescent—“Scatter Acorns That Oaks May Grow”, and it grew to approximately 40 acres as new buildings were added. With simple exteriors and austere interiors, the Park projected a utilitarian image for one of the world’s most productive industrial research centers. In total, Acorn Park consisted of 14 buildings and over 400,000sf with multiple surface parking lots. Arthur D. Little owned the site until 1999 and continued to occupy the site as a tenant until 2002.
The original buildings at Acorn Park were demolished by Bulfinch over several years beginning in 2003 to allow for the revitalization of the property, including the restoration and preservation of neighboring wetlands. Today, a memorial stands on-site to commemorate the impact Arthur D. Little had on the community and the history behind it. This installation, situated among several acres of green space which was once an array of brick buildings and asphalt parking areas, features the original 1953 cornerstone of the initial Arthur D. Little building. In 2011, Bulfinch received a preservation award from the Cambridge Historic Commission for the construction of this memorial.
Development
Cambridge Discovery Park is master-planned and permitted for 820,000 sf and is being developed in Phases. Building 100 (150,00sf +/-) was first developed attracting The Smithsonian Institution Astrophysical Observatory to the Park, Building 200-300 (200,000 sf +/-LEED-Gold certified) followed and is currently home to Forrester Research, and a 650 space +/-parking garage also has been developed. Approximately 450,000 sf +/- of office and/or laboratory space and an additional parking garage remain to be developed. Bulfinch manages the property.
Sustainability
When Bulfinch purchased the Arthur D. Little site in 2000 it quickly returned nearly 10 acres back to open space and natural vegetation restoring areas of the 1950s post-war office park into bountiful green space as it was in the early 1900s. Among other environmental enhancements at the property, Bulfinch transformed former Arthur D. Little parking lots and impervious areas into a natural buffer between the Little River and portion of the property to be developed (closest to Route 2), including adding ponds and other natural features to treat storm water, which earned Bulfinch the “Go Green” Award from the City of Cambridge for Stormwater Management Design. Building 200 – 300 at Cambridge Discovery Park (also known as the Forrester Building) has a LEED Platinum certification. Future buildings are intended to be LEED certified “silver” or higher
Location
Cambridge Discovery Park is located adjacent to Route 2, a major artery to and from Boston and Cambridge, in close proximity to Harvard and MIT, not far from Logan International Airport and downtown Boston, and adjacent to the Alewife Reservation and Little River. The Park is situated just a few miles to Interstate 95/Route 128 and the western Boston suburbs. Public transportation can be accessed via a 300 yard+/- pedestrian footpath or a shuttle bus to the MBTA Alewife Red Line station. The Park also is easily accessible by bicycle via the Minuteman Bike Path.
The Park is situated in an expanding neighborhood with numerous residential projects underway including the adjacent Vox on Two plus over 1,000 multi-family units within approximately ½ mile of the campus.
Amenities
Cambridge Discovery Park offers a full service fitness center and cafeteria, bicycle and walking trails, and is situated ¼ mile away from numerous dining and everyday conveniences along Fresh Pond Parkway including Whole Foods, Trader Joes, Entertainment Cinemas, CVS and more. The Park focuses on being green and, among other amenities, offers tenants access to bike-sharing programs, Zipcar, and electric car charging stations.