37 Brookline Street
ABOUT
Located in the Cambridgeport neighborhood, this 6,582 sq. ft. (0.15 acres) parcel is situated at the corner of Brookline Street and Franklin Street in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The site currently hosts a three-family building, formerly owned by legendary Cambridge artist Peter Valentine. Just A Start is proposing to construct an approximately 14,144 sq. ft. multifamily building, which will include 13 units of new mixed-income affordable housing. The proposed four-story building will consist of 8 one-bedroom and 5 two-bedroom units, all of which will be restricted to 60% AMI and built to passive house standards.
Project Manager: Yolanda Gilibert
- Email: [email protected]
- Phone: 617-681-4753
Public Benefits
- 13 units of 100% affordable housing
- 1 and 2-bedroom apartments
- Sustainability and Climate Resiliency
- Built to Passive House standards
Peter Valentine's Legacy
“I didn’t do the Fence for it to receive historical recognition. I did it because there was nothing in the immediate world that I continually moved through, that possessed the specific way I designed things or the specific way I thought about life or that revealed my understanding of how the design of the environment people live in affects the quality of their lives.” – Peter Valentine
Just A Start is assisting the community in preserving the Peter Valentine Art Fence, which will be stored in Cambridge until a permanent home is found.
TEAM MEMBERS
Just A Start
Founded in 1968, Just A Start is a community development corporation with a mission to promote equity to create access to stable housing and build pathways to economic opportunity. We build equitable and thriving communities by guiding individuals and families on their path to economic stability through affordable housing, career training, and comprehensive support services. For over 50 years Just A Start has served Somerville and Cambridge through housing assistance, career training, youth education, and financial opportunity programs. We have developed over 600 rental apartments of affordable family housing and 130 affordable homes. Our workforce development programs include Biomedical and IT training and the YouthBuild program. We also offer financial coaching and tax prep through our Financial Opportunity program, and comprehensive support for families towards financial and social well-being through the Families Moving Forward program. Annually, Just A Start serves over 2,600 people.
Davis Square Architects, Inc.
Davis Square Architects, Inc. is an award-winning architectural design and planning studio with a simple mission: to create excellent design, to develop long-term relationships with clients, and to help build viable communities. Davis Square Architects, Inc. has been a leading advocate and designer of affordable home-ownership and rental housing since 1984.
TIMELINE
PLANS, REPORTS, & MEETINGS
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Frequently Asked Questions
37 Brookline St. is an affordable housing development designed to provide quality housing rental options for moderate to low income residents in Cambridge.
37 Brookline St. is located at the corner of Brookline St. and Franklin St. in Cambridge just south of Massachusetts Avenue, a few blocks from Central Square.
The proposed type of units for this project includes 8 one-bedroom apartments, and 5 two-bedroom apartments. It is designed with families in mind.
No. There is no parking in this project. However, it is located a few minutes walk from public transportation.
37 Brookline St. is required to follow the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) guidelines. Affordable housing in Cambridge serves low-moderate-, and middle income households, with most programs targeted to households earning less than 80% of Area Median Income adjusted for household size. This project is targeted to households at 60% of the Area Median Income.
We are in the community outreach process, and once design and financing is completely in place we anticipate to begin construction sometime at the end of 2025.
Passive House is an ultra energy efficient design, which allows tenants to save on their utility bills and will help the city reach net-zero. Just A Start has experience in PHIUS and our Squirrelwood project recently won the best Passive House renovation project in the New England Engineering News Record.
According to phius.org, “Passive building puts passive house principles into practice to create safe, resilient, comfortable and – most importantly – energy efficient structures.” The five principles aim to:
- Employ continuous insulation throughout its entire envelope without any thermal bridging.
- The building envelope is extremely airtight, preventing infiltration of outside air and loss of conditioned air.
- Employ high-performance windows (double or triple-paned windows depending on climate and building type) and doors – solar gain is managed to exploit the sun’s energy for heating purposes in the heating season and to minimize overheating during the cooling season.
- Use some form of balanced heat – and moisture-recovery ventilation.
- Use a minimal conditioning system.
We have hosted one community meeting in person, and plan to have at least three more before construction begins. Please sign up for e-mail updates to be notified when the date is set and how you can participate
Contact US
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37 Brookline Street