NASA Shows Increased Interest in a Site Here

The Cambridge City Council received further evidence this week that the National Aeronautics and Space Administration may locate its proposed $60 million electronics research center in the Kendall Square area.

NASA officials have apparently indicated interest in leasing four floors of a building on Technology Square--near the Kendall Square site--as temporary Cambridge headquarters.

A less encouraging development is the departure from NASA of Col. Robert Young, chairman of the three-man site selection committee. He had been highly regarded by Cambridge officials, and personally delivered the City Council's offer of 33 acres to NASA administrators in Washington.

Meanwhile, several business firms in the Kendall Square area appear to be organizing opposition to the city's taking their property for the urban renewal project that will be tied to NASA's location here.

Must Be Blighted

The City can only offer NASA the necessary land at a reasonable price if it can appropriate the land as part of a redevelopment project, under the terms of the Urban Renewal Act. And the act stipulates that at least half the buildings in a proposed site must be industrially blighted.

The Urban Renewal Authority has previously indicated that the Kendall Square site would meet the blight requirement.

One unidentified businessman has indicated that opposition, perhaps in court, would be based on the contention that the Kendall Square site is not properly an urban renewal area.