MBTA Cancels Alewife Station Redevelopment Procurement
As reported on January 12 by Streetsblog Massachusetts, the MBTA has cancelled its procurement process to redevelop the land around Alewife Station. This planned redevelopment was expected to explore major changes to the massive on-site parking garage, including the possibility of demolishing and rebuilding it. The MBTA also indicated it was open to reducing the number of parking spaces on the site.
In an email to Streetsblog, an MBTA spokesperson cited “current market conditions” to explain the cancellation. The spokesperson added that the MBTA remains “committed to working with the City of Cambridge and other stakeholders to improve the station in a way that benefits the community.”
Background on the Alewife Garage
Streetsblog describes the Alewife garage as “a hulking 2,700-space concrete parking garage with major maintenance needs.” The MBTA began a $33 million repair project on the garage in 2018, with a projected completion date of August 2027. Monday’s Streetsblog article reports that, once work began, the MBTA identified significant additional structural concerns—pushing the budget to at least $76 million.
The City of Cambridge and the MBTA hosted an informal meeting in August 2024 to share tentative plans for the redevelopment of both the garage and an adjacent 30 acres. The goal was to create a vibrant transit-oriented housing development. It was unclear at that time how a possible redevelopment might interact with the preexisting repair timeline.
Connection to The Grid
The safety and accessibility of Alewife Station directly affect smooth operations of The Grid shuttle system. Alewife Station is the connection point for eight out of ten Grid routes, with riders boarding in the parking garage’s Passenger Pick-Up area. Grid routes connecting with Alewife include the Alewife Shuttle system (A1, A2, A3, A5, A6), the REV Bus system (R1, R2), and the Vox on Two shuttle.
The only Grid routes that do not connect with Alewife Station are the W1: Waltham Shuttle and N1: Needham Shuttle. These routes connect to Waltham Center (serving both bus and commuter rail riders) and Needham Heights, respectively.
The Streetsblog article highlights that more riders arrive at Alewife on foot than by car, underscoring the importance of station access improvements for riders arriving without a personal vehicle. We also know from our own survey data that more Grid riders arrive at Alewife Station to meet their shuttle via train, bus, or on foot than do so by car.
What does the future hold for Alewife Station?
Extensive work on the Alewife Station garage remains an ongoing need, given the garage’s condition. At the aforementioned August 2024 meeting, the MBTA’s Scott Bosworth said that “the T was no longer interested carrying the considerable costs of owning and maintaining any parking on the site.” The comment reflects the financial pressures associated with major parking structures.
In other markets, garages have become a starting point for major reinvestment. A December 2025 New York Times report highlighted how developers in land-constrained markets have found parking garage conversions financially attractive. The article described projects that have turned aging garages into luxury condominiums, affordable housing, and assisted living centers.
The open questions at Alewife are whether a comparable redevelopment opportunity could re-emerge, and what the current procurement’s cancellation will mean for the condition of the station in the meantime.
