MIT’s lovely promises for “renovation” of historical building translate as sugar coated DESTRUCTION, AS USUAL.

1. Introduction

2. MIT’s “Explanation.

3. Cambridge’s Most Recent “Explanation” Compared to Reality.

1. Introduction

MIT’s lovely promises for “renovation” of historical building translate as sugar coated DESTRUCTION, AS USUAL.

I have done two posts on this outrage.  It is highly relevant to the Charles River White Geese because this outrage WITHOUT THE DESTRUCTION is perhaps the emblem of a bike path which is the front for and which is part of the ongoing efforts to destroy on the Charles River.

And this DESTRUCTIVE REALITY IS TOO MUCH THE REALITY WITH SO MUCH OF THE USUAL LOVELY CLAIMS FROM WHOMEVER CONCERNING THE CHARLES, ITS WATER, ITS VEGETATION AND ITS ANIMALS.

My first report is posted at:  https://charlesriverwhitegeeseblog.blogspot.com/2023/10/mit-destroying-historical-storage.html.  

My “preliminary” follow up with damning photos is at https://charlesriverwhitegeeseblog.blogspot.com/2023/10/mits-renovation-of-historical-warehouse.html.

The problem is that the “preliminary” follow up does a pretty good job of reporting the outrage.  I could go further, but going further would be massive work in processing a LOT OF PHOTOS, and could also evolve into ongoing reports, and that definitely is not the purpose of this blog.

2. MIT’s “Explanation.

I have promised to provide MIT’s “explanation.”  So here it is, first with a screen shot, then with the gory details.  Note the image credits at the end apply as well to the MIT photos in the “preliminary” report.  My credit has been to MIT.  MIT's credit is more accurate.  Both photos are provided, fair use like this report, in my “preliminary” report.

* * * *

Metropolitan Storage Warehouse, Building 

W41

MIT is renovating the Metropolitan Warehouse to create a vibrant interdisciplinary hub for design and education and to house the School of Architecture and Planning, a new makerspace for Project Manus, and the new MIT Morningside Academy for Design.

STATUS

In constructionr

COMPLETION DATE

2025

THEMES AND PRIORITIES

Innovation and collaboration

Renovation and renewal

Enhancement of life and learning

Designed by Frederic Pope (first section) and Peabody & Stearns (subsequent additions), the Metropolitan Storage Warehouse — one of the oldest buildings in the neighborhood — was originally constructed in 1895. The building is listed on the State Register of Historic Places and has been determined eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places. With its square brick tower and crenellated corbelled cornice, it resembles a medieval castle on a city street corner.

MIT’s adaptive reuse of the Metropolitan Warehouse building will redevelop it as a center of interdisciplinary design research and education, providing a new home for the School of Architecture and Planning (SA+P). The building will also house the new MIT Morningside Academy for Design, which aims to foster collaboration and innovation on campus, encouraging design work to grow across disciplines. In addition, the building's flagship Project Manus makerspace will serve as a substantial addition to the MIT Makersystem and will expand the design and fabrication facilities available to the campus. As a whole, the reimagined Met Warehouse will include new classrooms, design studio space that will significantly increase MIT’s capacity for arts and design programming, new faculty offices, and areas for meetings and collaborative activities.

The adaptive reuse of the structure will endeavor to preserve the building’s historic character while leveraging and valorizing its existing spaces and infrastructure to serve the needs of current and future programming. A critical design element is the introduction of new floor “platforms” to provide necessary high-bay program space and to allow natural light to penetrate core building areas. The strategic integration of old and new will enhance interdisciplinary interactions between SA+P and other schools at MIT while providing space for an auditorium and other possible ground-floor amenities.

“The renovation of the Metropolitan Storage Warehouse is intended to generate new opportunities for research, teaching, and innovation at the Institute,” says Provost Martin A. Schmidt. “I look forward to seeing faculty and students, across many disciplines, use the new space to push their fields into the future.”

IMAGE CREDITS

Melody Craven and Monica Lee

3. Cambridge’s Most Recent “Explanation” Compared to Reality.

The original publication of this post was October 22, 2023, a week ago.

In working on the condensed version of this report for publication on Face book and Email Publication, I have obtained the Cambridge Development Department PROMISE of what is being done to this building in relation to the lovely “Grand Junction Path” promises.

Here is the presentation at their June 22, 2022 meeting, taken from the Cambridge, MA on line presentation.

Cropped to the "protected" historical building.

In this picture, the Destroyed Nesting Area of the Charles River White Geese is, for all practical purposes, straight ahead.

Here is our photo from a week ago.

As usual in Cambridge, a dramatic difference between what was promised and this reality a week ago.

WITH MORE TO COME.