A Superior Court judge has granted the city of Cambridge the authority to take control of a hazardous building on Mount Auburn Street, leveraging a state law that allows municipalities to demolish structures deemed a threat to public safety.
The 66-unit condominium building, which overlooks the Charles River, was evacuated last year after its owners uncovered significant concrete issues that raised concerns about a potential collapse.
City spokesperson Jeremy Warnick expressed that this judicial approval empowers the city to proceed with necessary actions.
“This now opens the door for the city to hire a contractor for the demolition,” Warnick stated.
Plans for the demolition are moving swiftly, as the city is taking advantage of state government provisions that enable the hiring of a contractor without undergoing a formal bidding process, thereby reducing potential delays.
Once a contractor is appointed, they will manage the delicate process of bringing the building down, with an emphasis on completing the work by winter.
The city intends to recover the costs of the demolition from the building’s owners, who have pledged to repay the project expenses with the proceeds from selling the property once it has been cleared.
The condo association’s board of directors supports this initiative, explaining that coordination and financing responsibilities for the scope of the project proved overwhelming for individual owners.
In conjunction with these developments, the condo association is also taking legal steps to facilitate the property’s sale.
Earlier this month, they filed a petition asking the court to allow the sale of the property, with the intention of dividing the proceeds among the owners based on their ownership shares.
A commissioner is expected to be appointed by the court soon to oversee this sale under judicial supervision.
A status conference hearing is scheduled for September 12, during which further details are expected to be discussed.
The court documents reflect a sense of urgency, stating, “This petition-to-partition marks the beginning of the final chapter of the saga,” hoping to expedite the process so owners can recover some of their lost investments and move forward.
While the timeline and sale price remain uncertain, the property is likely to attract development interest due to its prime location near Harvard Square and along the Charles River.
However, the current condo owners, many of whom are elderly, express concerns about receiving only a fraction of their property’s former value, which had diminished following the revelation of the structural issues.
At this juncture, city officials have not laid out any formal plans for future developments on the site, although discussions among residents regarding the potential trajectory of new construction have already commenced.
Topics of interest include the height of buildings, architectural styles, and their intended purposes—elements that resonate deeply in a city where housing development strategies frequently provoke debate.
The anticipated demolition is expected to incur significant costs.
In July, the city council authorized the use of up to $20 million in public funds to finance the project.
The financial burden is exacerbated by the complexity of removing materials contaminated with asbestos, which must remain untouched until after the demolition, as entering the building in its current state is unsafe.
The court order obtained by the city outlines its entitlement to recover all expenses related to the demolition, including those related to contracts for demolition and removal, police presence, contingency fees, traffic management, environmental contracts, and attorney fees.
Overall, the building’s precarious condition has already instigated significant changes in the neighborhood.
With safety concerns looming, city authorities have closed off portions of Mount Auburn Street and rerouted traffic, including the closure of a lane on Memorial Drive, to minimize risk to the public.
image source from：bostonglobe
