City Considers Business Plan

Cambridge officials and local business leaders last night discussed a new plan to lure more businesses into economically depressed areas of the city.

The proposal, drafted mostly by MIT planners, is designed to encourage the influx of light manufacturing to Cambridgeport in the industrial area rezoned by the council three weeks ago.

"We're trying to see whether, given certain incentives, we can [attract business]," said Alice K. Wolf, chair of the City Council's economic development committee.

The plan will clarify the zoning incentives for businesses in the area, according to Vice Mayor Edward N. Cyr, a member of the committee.

Current incentives include city support of business financing, tax relief and job training for businesses entering the area.

After a trial period of undetermined length, city officials will evaluate the effectiveness of the plan based on an assessment of total square footage for light manufacturing.

The city will deem the plan successful if a 10 percent increase in square footage is found.

Only MIT, the major landowner in the area, had agreed to the plan as of yesterday, but the committee agreed to try to get the signatures of the four other major landowners in the zone.

Wolf said that if the other owners fail to sign, the plan would only apply to MIT's land. "It will give them presumably an advantage to attract those particular uses to their land area," she added.