Central Square in Transition

Empty stores with dark interiors flank the sidewalks of Central Square like missing teeth. Banners announce the relocation of stores that have proudly stood at the intersection of Mass. Ave. and Magazine Street for decades.

The Holmes Realty Trust is poised to demolish this Central Square property. But conflict over the architecture of the building that will rise in place of these stores stopped the wrecking ball in its tracks earlier this month.

Holmes, a family owned business which has owned the property in question since 1915, wants to knock down the existing building and construct a new, more expensive complex for mixed residential and commercial use. The proposed complex--composed of two different buildings--will be 120,000 square feet and 60 to 70 feet at its tallest point, according to Holmes's attorney James J. Rafferty.

Originally the building was to have 12 stories, but the Cambridge Planning Board forced Holmes to scale down the design to seven stories.

The plans have been hotly debated from the start.

Many Cantabrigians say the new building is another step in the highly contested gentrification of Cambridge--and more specifically of Central Square--claiming that renovated facades and more upscale restaurants and stores have and will continue to make rents in the Square rise and drive residents from the area as a result.

The new Holmes plans do not conform to Cambridge zoning laws and, therefore, must be approved by the Cambridge Planning Board. The proposed height and square footage of the building exceeds zone limits, according to Scott Levitan, a member of the Central Square Advisory Committee (CSAC).

The city has dragged its feet throughout the process, according to Stuart W.Pratt, one of Holmes' three trustees.

"It's a total embarrassment to anyone in myindustry that a city could be so poorly run toallow such a transgression of the developmentprocess," Pratt says. "It's ridiculous."

Holmes first presented its plans to cityagencies at a meeting in March of last year.

Since then, Holmes has redesigned its plansseveral times per the city's request. On Feb. 3Holmes was again forced by the Planning Board torevise its plans.

Members of the Cambridge community developmentdepartment say their concerns lie with theaesthetics of the building and any changes it maybring to the feel of the Square.

"The Board members indicated their points ofview on the design and asked that the developmentshift in height away from the Karl Baron Plaza,"says Lester W. Barber, director of land use andzoning in Cambridge's Community DevelopmentDepartment.

The Board members also requested that thedevelopers redesign the interior courtyard thatlinks the two buildings of the complex, Barbersays.

"The Planning Board members felt that thedesign of the development has negative impacts onthe location in Central Square," says Liza M.Paden, assistant land use planner for theCommunity Development Department.

The Board must ensure that the developmentmeets the overlay district guidelines under which"the development must look like it belongs inCentral Square and fits in the fabric of CentralSquare," according to Paden.

Paden says the Square has a variety of buildingstyles but declines to comment on the exact stylethat the Board tries to maintain in the Square.

The Board will review the most recent changesto the Holmes plans in early March. Rafferty saysHolmes has done its best to comply with theinstructions of the Board. Holmes has furtherreduced the number of stories of the portion ofthe complex bordering Baron Plaza from seven totwo and eliminated the courtyard.

"Based upon the feedback that we had on Feb. 3,we hope that we've got a design that will bedeemed acceptable by the Board," Rafferty says."We're optimistic."

Cantabrigians express similar concerns aboutthe changing face of Central Square, citing therecent renovations to old facades and the invasionof new stores and restaurants such as Starbucks.

But many residents take the issue further,claiming that the higher rents demanded by thesenew complexes will drive poor residents from theneighborhood and rob the Square of its uniquediversity.

"Landlords, developers and speculators havebeen renovating places and raising rents. Lots ofpoor people have been driven out of Cambridge,"says George Salzman, a member of Save CentralSquare, a group of concerned citizens trying to"stop the demolition and save the small stores."

"That will change the demographics of thecity," Salzman says.

Salzman says Holmes's motives are purelyeconomic. He says the developers fail to considerthe fate of the small stores and residents of theSquare.

Holmes's renovation follows the current ofeconomic change in the Square, according to Pratt."The space is underutilized at the moment," Prattsays. "We have been supporting tenants by chargingunder market rents to help them along."

Pratt adds that the tenant's leases containedclauses stating that the buildings could bedemolished at some point. Some store owners,although worried about their impending moves,acquiesce to what they view as part of the lifecycle of any business.

"Change is inevitable. It's time for a100-year-old store to be replaced by others," saysa spokesperson for Surman's who wished not to benamed. Surman's a men's clothing store, has beenin the Square for 90 years but will be moving outon Feb. 28.

Currently, Surman's has no plans to relocate."People learn to deal with situations as theyevolve. Emotion has nothing to do with soundbusiness," the Surman's employee says amid stacksof brown boxes and clearance items.

But others feel that the development willbreathe new life into the Square.

The Central Square Business Association (CSBA)is "very much in favor of it. We think it will behelpful to the Square," says Arnold B. Goldstein,vice president of the CSBA. "The purpose of theHolmes plan is to bring a mix of use [bothresidential and commercial] to the Square."

Goldstein contends that the apartments in thebuilding will attract different types of people tothe Square and promote business.

The many revisions of the original plans havebeen aimed at this goal of making the buildingmore appealing to a greater number of people.

The city held public hearings regarding theHolmes development in November and January atwhich time residents testified for and against theproject, Barber says.

The CSAC, a group of residents who volunteertheir time to serve the community, has reviewedthe Holmes plans six times since August and hassuggested changes to the Board. The CSAC helps theBoard decide if zoning laws should be relaxed toaccommodate the development, says George R.Metzger, chair of the CSAC.

"We had some strong objections [in our firstreport], and we asked that the Planning Boardreject it," Metzger says. "In our December reportwe recognized that most of the issues had beenadded...size was no longer an issue."

Representatives of Holmes as well as Cambridgeresidents say they recognize that the city waspartly responsible for beginning thegentrification of the Square.

Cambridge ended rent control in 1995,permitting businesses to raise rents much higherthan previously.

Goldstein says the city has been giving storeowners incentives to renovate their facades toimprove the look of the Square for several years.

"The city has had a program to encourageproperty owners to improve their facades. They getsome funding from the city," Goldstein says.

Goldstein adds that his business, Mass. Ave.Realty Trust, made some improvements to its facadeover the summer, taking advantage of the city'sfunding.

Salzman criticizes the city for not playing alarger role in attempting to prevent Holmes fromforcing tenants out of its building.

"My own wish would be that the wholedevelopment could be done by a democratic processwith the whole society involved," Salzman says."The city should take over."CrimsonHector U. Velazquez

"It's a total embarrassment to anyone in myindustry that a city could be so poorly run toallow such a transgression of the developmentprocess," Pratt says. "It's ridiculous."

Holmes first presented its plans to cityagencies at a meeting in March of last year.

Since then, Holmes has redesigned its plansseveral times per the city's request. On Feb. 3Holmes was again forced by the Planning Board torevise its plans.

Members of the Cambridge community developmentdepartment say their concerns lie with theaesthetics of the building and any changes it maybring to the feel of the Square.

"The Board members indicated their points ofview on the design and asked that the developmentshift in height away from the Karl Baron Plaza,"says Lester W. Barber, director of land use andzoning in Cambridge's Community DevelopmentDepartment.

The Board members also requested that thedevelopers redesign the interior courtyard thatlinks the two buildings of the complex, Barbersays.

"The Planning Board members felt that thedesign of the development has negative impacts onthe location in Central Square," says Liza M.Paden, assistant land use planner for theCommunity Development Department.

The Board must ensure that the developmentmeets the overlay district guidelines under which"the development must look like it belongs inCentral Square and fits in the fabric of CentralSquare," according to Paden.

Paden says the Square has a variety of buildingstyles but declines to comment on the exact stylethat the Board tries to maintain in the Square.

The Board will review the most recent changesto the Holmes plans in early March. Rafferty saysHolmes has done its best to comply with theinstructions of the Board. Holmes has furtherreduced the number of stories of the portion ofthe complex bordering Baron Plaza from seven totwo and eliminated the courtyard.

"Based upon the feedback that we had on Feb. 3,we hope that we've got a design that will bedeemed acceptable by the Board," Rafferty says."We're optimistic."

Cantabrigians express similar concerns aboutthe changing face of Central Square, citing therecent renovations to old facades and the invasionof new stores and restaurants such as Starbucks.

But many residents take the issue further,claiming that the higher rents demanded by thesenew complexes will drive poor residents from theneighborhood and rob the Square of its uniquediversity.

"Landlords, developers and speculators havebeen renovating places and raising rents. Lots ofpoor people have been driven out of Cambridge,"says George Salzman, a member of Save CentralSquare, a group of concerned citizens trying to"stop the demolition and save the small stores."

"That will change the demographics of thecity," Salzman says.

Salzman says Holmes's motives are purelyeconomic. He says the developers fail to considerthe fate of the small stores and residents of theSquare.

Holmes's renovation follows the current ofeconomic change in the Square, according to Pratt."The space is underutilized at the moment," Prattsays. "We have been supporting tenants by chargingunder market rents to help them along."

Pratt adds that the tenant's leases containedclauses stating that the buildings could bedemolished at some point. Some store owners,although worried about their impending moves,acquiesce to what they view as part of the lifecycle of any business.

"Change is inevitable. It's time for a100-year-old store to be replaced by others," saysa spokesperson for Surman's who wished not to benamed. Surman's a men's clothing store, has beenin the Square for 90 years but will be moving outon Feb. 28.

Currently, Surman's has no plans to relocate."People learn to deal with situations as theyevolve. Emotion has nothing to do with soundbusiness," the Surman's employee says amid stacksof brown boxes and clearance items.

But others feel that the development willbreathe new life into the Square.

The Central Square Business Association (CSBA)is "very much in favor of it. We think it will behelpful to the Square," says Arnold B. Goldstein,vice president of the CSBA. "The purpose of theHolmes plan is to bring a mix of use [bothresidential and commercial] to the Square."

Goldstein contends that the apartments in thebuilding will attract different types of people tothe Square and promote business.

The many revisions of the original plans havebeen aimed at this goal of making the buildingmore appealing to a greater number of people.

The city held public hearings regarding theHolmes development in November and January atwhich time residents testified for and against theproject, Barber says.

The CSAC, a group of residents who volunteertheir time to serve the community, has reviewedthe Holmes plans six times since August and hassuggested changes to the Board. The CSAC helps theBoard decide if zoning laws should be relaxed toaccommodate the development, says George R.Metzger, chair of the CSAC.

"We had some strong objections [in our firstreport], and we asked that the Planning Boardreject it," Metzger says. "In our December reportwe recognized that most of the issues had beenadded...size was no longer an issue."

Representatives of Holmes as well as Cambridgeresidents say they recognize that the city waspartly responsible for beginning thegentrification of the Square.

Cambridge ended rent control in 1995,permitting businesses to raise rents much higherthan previously.

Goldstein says the city has been giving storeowners incentives to renovate their facades toimprove the look of the Square for several years.

"The city has had a program to encourageproperty owners to improve their facades. They getsome funding from the city," Goldstein says.

Goldstein adds that his business, Mass. Ave.Realty Trust, made some improvements to its facadeover the summer, taking advantage of the city'sfunding.

Salzman criticizes the city for not playing alarger role in attempting to prevent Holmes fromforcing tenants out of its building.

"My own wish would be that the wholedevelopment could be done by a democratic processwith the whole society involved," Salzman says."The city should take over."CrimsonHector U. Velazquez