Tell us a little bit about your  Company  

I want to focus on the property, West Cambridge Science Park (WCSP), since they are a TMA member. WCSP is a cluster of six buildings (soon to be seven). WCSP is family-owned and the buildings were first acquired in the 1980s by an MIT professor who had envisioned West Cambridge as the affordable version of Kendall Square when it came to developing lab space. The owner of WCSP takes pride in being a good neighbor and recognizing the West Cambridge area as an integral part of Cambridge as whole. 

Personally, WCSP is the first property I took on for management under my company, Last2 Development, and I have been working with them for 10 years. I greatly value my longstanding relationship with the owners of the building. 

What inspires your Company to work to reduce carbon emissions?  

As I mentioned before, WCSP is family-owned so for the owners of the building—and for me, also, we believe that it’s important to share this planet with everyone. Reducing carbon emissions is a big part of that and it doesn’t just matter on the local level. From a global perspective, reducing carbon emissions matters. We are lucky that based on where we live in Massachusetts, that we have the resources to improve emissions and effect change. 

What sustainability projects are you most excited about?   

With the new building that is under construction at WCSP, we have several initiatives planned. There will be indoor bike parking, EV charging on site, and we are re-landscaping the area and planting 18 new trees. The building also has a water resiliency program, which means that it can control the flow of water back into the system and into the ground after a big rain or snowstorm. It’s called blue roofing and it’s meant to ensure that water from rain doesn’t overwhelm the streets and sewer system in Cambridge by slowly controlling the pace at which the rain flows off the roof. This building also has an underground leaching system, which holds water in place and slowly releases it back into the ground. 

What are some of the transportations related benefits offered to your tenants & employees?

We offer bike parking, showers on site, EV charging, the Alewife shuttle, and reimbursements for alternative transportation, guaranteed ride home and carpooling programs. We also partner with the Alewife TMA to have bike tune-up events, pilot shuttles, apply for grants and hold other events. 

What do you find most valuable about being a member of the Alewife TMA?  

We are proud to be a found TMA member. We value most the people and the contact with our neighbors. The TMA provides us with a lot of help with the programs we offer, like carpooling and bike safety. They also keep us in the loop with what is going on in the transportation world. We rely on Melissa and the TMA to know about proposed changes on the bus lines or new developments at the MBTA. Melissa has let us know when new people about new members, development and constantly updates on shuttle usage and other green metrics. The TMA puts on excellent events, and they help coordinate everything for us that is transportation related. 

Do you have a memorable transportation story you can share with us?

Well, having a kid has really changed my perspective on things! My son loves trains, buses, and trucks so recently, we took the T just for fun. We were in Somerville, so we took the Green Line extension out to Union Square, and he was in awe. Despite all the difficulties the MBTA is having, riding the train through the Lechmere viaduct made his month! On the way there, we were in a new car and on the way back, we were in a car that was built in 1987. For something that is viewed as mundane by adults, it can be fascinating for a child. The trip made me realize all we have done for public transportation in the Boston area and, if we continue to invest in it, how much we still can do.