The modernization of 99 Bishop Allen Drive, a historic building that rests on “Nonprofit Row” in Cambridge, MA, has been honored with a 2022 Preservation Award from the Cambridge Historical Commission.
STV, on behalf of the Cambridge Redevelopment Authority (CRA), performed owner’s project management for the project, which celebrated its ribbon cutting earlier this year.
As part of the $11.3 million construction program, the building was made fully ADA-compliant, its historic façade was restored, and a new mechanical, electrical and plumbing system was installed. The firm’s move management team worked with tenants to relocate them to a temporary space during construction and then back to the newly renovated building once it was complete.
Originally build in 1855, 99 Bishop Allen Drive consists of four row house that have served as a home for Boston area nonprofits since the 1960s. When the building went up for sale in 2019, tenants were concerned that a new owner may force them out of the space given the skyrocketing rents throughout the Boston area. Following its purchase of the building, CRA pledged to modernize the space while maintaining the affordable rents to keep vital organizations like the Boston Area Rape Crisis Center, the Cambridge Community Foundation and the Young People’s Project, in the facility.
Since being inaugurated in 1997, the Cambridge Preservation Awards celebrate outstanding projects and notable individuals who conserve and protect the city’s architecture and history. Criteria include historical and architectural significance of the property; exceptional quality of the project; extent to which the project contributed to the preservation of the property; and impact of the project on the preservation of the city’s historic resources.