City Council Votes to Fund Demolition of Riverview Condominiums

The Cambridge City Council voted at a Wednesday special meeting to appropriate city funding for the demolition of the Riverview Condominium Building, a residential complex on Mt. Auburn Street that is at risk of collapse.

The vote comes after streets surrounding the building, including a stretch of Memorial Drive, were closed indefinitely last week, months after residents of the 66-unit high-end apartment complex were told in November to evacuate due to structural issues with the building.

“During exploratory work for roof and drainage repairs, engineers discovered that the building was not built as originally designed,” the city published on their website page on the project.

The building’s condo board then announced that residents would not be able to return, and demolition was the only option due to the cost and complexity of the repairs.

“After evaluating various repair options, the Condo Association has concluded that fixing the building isn’t feasible, and it will need to be taken down,” the website read.

Earlier this year, the board requested that the city take over the demolition process.

The council’s Wednesday vote “enables the City to move ahead with identifying and securing a demolition contractor, conduct engineering planning, permitting, and other critical functions prior to the demolition itself,” according to city spokesperson Jeremy C. Warnick.

The Riverview Condominium Building was built using substandard concrete that was improperly reinforced with steel rebar. The building — originally designed in the 1960s as rental housing — transitioned to luxury condos in 1972, but the structural hazards went undiscovered for nearly 60 years.

The building also contains asbestos insulation, but it is unsafe to enter the building due to its risk of collapse, so the insulation cannot be removed. The entire structure will be treated as hazardous material.

Once the City has secured a demolition contractor, there will be a six- to eight-week period of engineering planning and permitting. The demolition itself will likely take 12 to 16 weeks and is anticipated to start in the fall.

The state of Massachusetts closed part of one lane on Memorial Drive last Saturday until further notice, and stretches of Mt. Auburn Street and Sparks Street are closed entirely “to keep the public away from the building and help reduce risks,” according to a Frequently Asked Questions document provided by the city.

The street closures raise additional concerns for Cambridge residents, who say the resulting traffic changes could pose their own safety concerns.

“This is not just disruptive. It’s dangerous for pedestrians, cyclists and families who live along these roads,” Cambridge resident Jadyn Rauwerdink said at the Wednesday special meeting, adding that drivers are now detouring through Brattle Street — and exceeding the speed limit.

“We understand the building needs to come down quickly, but the surrounding neighborhoods also need protection while this project moves forward,” Rauwerdink said.

And while city residents view the demolition as a necessary safety precaution, some still voiced disappointment about the building’s bleak future.

“The stress of an apparently insoluble public safety threat compounded the stress of losing our homes and our community,” former Riverview Condominium resident Anne Sa’adah said. Sa’adah is also president of the Riverview-In-Cambridge Condominium Trust.

“We’re grateful to be living in a city that puts public health and safety first and finds concrete and immediate ways to address complex challenges as incidental beneficiaries,” Sa’adah added.

—Staff writer Megan L. Blonigen can be reached at megan.blonigen@thecrimson.com. Follow her on X at @MeganBlonigen.