TSNE is excited to share our latest collaboration with the Cambridge Redevelopment Authority, taking on the role of property manager for the historic 93-99 Bishop Allen Drive in Central Square. Under the CRA’s ownership, the building will continue its decades-long history of providing affordable space for nonprofits for many years to come. The cost of office space is one of the greatest threats facing our industry today, and the preservation and renovation of this space will ensure that nonprofits in the Greater Boston Area will continue to have access to affordable and accessible office space.
“We are thankful to the CRA for all they have done and continue to do for the nonprofit sectors in Cambridge. It has been inspiring to see the energy and resources they are bringing to 93-99 Bishop Allen Drive, and we are grateful to be involved in this project.” — Faisal Abid, Director of Property Services at TSNE
The historic building, a set of townhouses built in 1855, has been owned and operated by Enroot, formerly Cambridge Community Services, since 1965. The nonprofit is dedicated to providing affordable activities and engaging with the City’s youth. Due to steadily increasing upkeep costs, Enroot was no longer equipped to act as a facilities manager and made the difficult choice to sell the building in 2018. In order to prevent this nonprofit hub in the heart of Cambridge from being purchased by developers and turned into upscale condos, the CRA stepped in to ensure that this property would be preserved for nonprofit use and Enroot readily agreed. In 2019, the two organizations came to a purchase agreement with a plan to preserve the property for existing tenants and pursue the establishment of a center that can provide space and benefits for nonprofits throughout the City of Cambridge.
Image: Enroot Somerville students meeting with their mentors.
Nonprofits currently operating out of the building include:
- Boston Area Rape Crisis Center
- Brattle Film Foundation
- Cambridge Camping
- Cambridge Community Foundation
- Enroot
- Green Cambridge
- LaunchX
- Next Step
- Sustainable Business Network
- The Algebra Project
- The Young People’s Project
After the Cambridge Redevelopment Authority finalized the building’s purchase and sale late last year, a request for proposals was sent out to find a property manager for the building, seeking out not only someone to manage the facilities but also handle community management and leasing as well. At TSNE, we know what makes nonprofit spaces work and how to create a community out of a space, as we have done with the NonProfit Center in Boston and The Link in Kendall Square. We are excited to partner again with the CRA, which is committed to implementing imaginative, creative initiatives to achieve social equity and a balanced economic ecosystem. As a nonprofit ourselves, we’re not just providing professional property management services — we’re also bringing a commitment to support the sector.
“We are thankful to the CRA for all they have done and continue to do for the nonprofit sectors in Cambridge,” says Faisal Abid, Director of Property Services at TSNE. “It has been inspiring to see the energy and resources they are bringing to 93-99 Bishop Allen Drive, and we are grateful to be involved in this project.”