Local News

Plans to redevelop Alewife’s MBTA garage fall apart

The MBTA is scrapping a proposal to remake the site, leaving the concrete garage a persistent headache for riders and residents.

An aerial view of the Alewife garage in Cambridge. Kayla Bartkowski for The Boston Globe

January 13, 2026

3 minutes to read

The MBTA has scrapped its search for a developer to overhaul the aging five-story parking garage at Alewife station, citing a softening real estate market that makes the planned project no longer feasible.

The decision marks a setback for the rapidly changing Cambridge neighborhood, which has seen new housing rise around the crumbling structure and has been banking on redevelopment to attract more commercial and biotech investment, as outlined in its 2019 Alewife District Plan.

“The MBTA maximizes every dollar to build a more connected, equitable, and reliable public transit system,” a MBTA spokesperson told Boston.com. “We remain interested in models like joint development and recognize its value, as it offers innovative ways to support the communities we serve.”

The MBTA canceled its search for a developer for the Alewife site after a major shift in the real estate market made the project no longer financially viable. The change occurred while proposals were under review and would have increased early labor and construction material costs.

However, the MBTA said it remains committed to working with Cambridge to improve the station.

In response to the news, Cambridge Director of Media Jeremy Warnick said in a statement, “While this changes the immediate development landscape, it does not change the City’s commitment and priorities for the area.”

Warnick noted that the community has voiced concerns that the garage requires significant attention and needs thoughtful, long-term investment.

Crews conducting construction work at the station on Jan. 6, 2026. *David L. Ryan / The Boston Globe* *– ( David L. Ryan/ Globe Staff )*

The garage is undergoing repairs, and a 2020 MassDOT structural analysis found that the MBTA would need to spend at least $55 million over the next 10 years to keep the garage open.

In 2023, a car crash damaged the ceiling, causing debris to fall onto the station below and resulting in at least $1 million in damage.

The MBTA issued a request for proposals in January 2025 to engage a private-sector joint development partner to redevelop the Alewife complex, which includes commercial spaces, the Red Line station, and the 2,733-space, five-story parking garage.

The 1 million-square-foot structure is the largest parking structure in the MBTA system. Both the garage and the station were built in 1985 when the MBTA extended the Red Line beyond Harvard station.

The MBTA says both the parking garage and the station have undergone several rehabilitation projects and structural repairs, and continue to have ongoing safety measures in place.

In addition, there is adjacent real estate along the Fitchburg commuter rail line, which developers could use for a new rail station.

The proposal noted that, since the complex is “past its useful life” and the cost to repair is “unsustainable and unwise,” the MBTA determined it would be best to demolish the building and partner with a private-sector developer by leasing its land and air rights.

Any new project, the MBTA said, would have to provide parking to riders.

Fenced off parking spaces in the garage on Jan. 6, 2026. *David L. Ryan / The Boston Globe*

The project would also have addressed the raw sewage that discharges into Alewife Brook via combined sewer overflow.

In response to the news of the project stalling, Arlington’s town manager, Jim Feeney, said, “The Town of Arlington remains committed to the Alewife Brook stakeholder and will continue to advocate for the planning and implementation of CSO mitigation measures by all involved parties.”

In the meantime, Cambridge said it will continue to work with the MBTA on the station.

“The city remains committed to working with the MBTA and other partners to ensure that the station area is safe, resilient, and better connected for all who rely on it,” Warnick said.