Alewife TMA's Member Spotlight
Properties - 100/125/150 Cambridgepark Drive
Real Estate Developer & Operator: Longfellow Real Estate Partners
Interview with Erin Shields, Assistant Property Manager
December 2023
Tell us a little bit about your Company and the Property
Longfellow is a real estate investment company founded in Boston, Massachusetts in 2009. With over 200 employees in bio-innovation clusters across the U.S. and U.K., Longfellow partners with renowned universities and pioneering life science and technology companies to bring visionary ideas to life. The property at 100/125/150 Cambridgepark Drive consists of three Class A Research Buildings located in a rapidly expanding neighborhood that is conveniently located steps away from the MBTA Alewife Red Line Station, a key transit hub accommodating an average ridership of 11,200 passengers per day to the rest of Cambridge, Downtown Boston, and the South Shore. This location allows quick access to Kendall Square, MIT, and Harvard University, anchored by a bedrock of intellectual capital, innovative minds, and technological advancements. Tenants enjoy an array of best-in-class amenities in the urban live, work, and play environment gathered around the top names in biotech and research.
What drives your property to work to reduce carbon emissions?
Creating a better, more sustainable tomorrow isn’t just a talking point at Longfellow, it inspires our day-to-day decisions and projects from the ground up. Building environmentally conscious and socially responsible projects is critical to meeting the challenges of climate change, and the needs of innovative companies who are demanding resilient, 21st century infrastructure. At Longfellow, we are committed to unlocking lasting value through sustainable building efforts and best practices to deliver innovative spaces for our environmentally conscious tenants and investors.
What sustainability projects is your property working on that you are most excited about?
We have recently broken ground on a major addition at 125 Cambridgepark Drive that includes additional open space and further enhanced pedestrian and bicycle connections to the Fitchburg Path and Alewife Reservation. This project will target LEED Gold certification and include sustainable features such as Electric Vehicle Charging Stations, and a 110kW Solar Panel Array to produce renewable energy and support Cambridge's initiative to reduce the city's carbon footprint. The project was also designed in accordance with the Wetlands Protection Act and the city’s Floodplain Zoning Ordinance for land subject to flooding. In response to the City of Cambridge Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment initial recommendations, the project has been designed for anticipated flooding events and flood elevations for the Year 2070.
What do you find most valuable about being a member of the TMA?
The Alewife TMA is a great resource for learning about public transportation in Cambridge and Boston. They are also mindful about keeping us and other members updated on all changes and latest trends in sustainable transportation. They are thought leaders in the space, and we genuinely appreciate their expertise. The tenants in our buildings enjoy participating in the TMA’s programs and monthly commuter challenges. The Bike to Work Challenge held in May is always a favorite among our tenants and their employees.
Tell us about a memorable transportation experience you have personally had.
One time, while waiting for the Red Line to go to work, a pigeon boarded an MBTA train and started flying throughout the cabin, terrifying most of the passengers on board. Fortunately, I was not on that train, so I was lucky enough to see it from the platform!
