The Volpe project crossed the goal line despite a few tense moments Monday night.

The City Council voted to approve MIT�s zoning petition that will allow the university's redevelopment plans for the 14-acre site in Kendall Square to move forward. The project includes plans for around 1,120 units of market-rate housing, about 280 units of affordable housing, hundreds of units of new graduate student housing, two acres of open space, a community center and thousands of square feet of office and lab space, according to MIT.

As part of the terms of MIT's deal with the federal government, the current landowner, the university must first build a new home on the site for the Department of Transportation's John Volpe National Transportation Systems Center, a research facility which currently occupies a high-rise tower.

Every councilor voted in favor of the petition except Dennis Carlone, who cited concerns regarding buildings being converted from commercial use to educational use and no longer being subject to property taxes.

Councilor Jan Devereux expressed similar concerns and hesitated before voting yes.

Plan called 'in line' with community wishes

Councilor Leland Cheung called the project �unprecedented� and will not only �rejuvenate the Volpe site, but will be a benefit to Cambridge.�

Cheung also noted that through the project MIT is making a nearly $250 million cash commitment to the city and said the proposal is �completely in line� with everything stakeholders had discussed, including the council, neighborhoods and community groups.

�It�s incredible [and] it�s a testament to the amount of solidarity [and] voice that this council had in negotiating with MIT and saying, �You�re not going to be able to pick us off one by one, we�re going to stand strong with each other and argue for all the things that we�ve consistently said are important to this community,�� Cheung said. �The council deserves a tremendous amount of respect and gratitude from residents for being a unified voice in negotiating with MIT.�

He also said that it helped that MIT was familiar with the city and the council.

�Any other developer who came in from the outside would have had an immense amount of catching up to do,� Cheung said.

Future of taxes concerns councilor

Carlone said he was concerned because the deal the city reached with MIT allows the school to change the use of the buildings on the property from commercial use to educational use, which would exempt them from property taxes.

�There�s no guarantee of taxes in the long-term future,� Carlone said.

However, as part of the deal, if MIT were to convert the property to academic use, the institute must continue paying taxes for 10 years, according to Cheung in a follow-up email.

"For example, if MIT were to buy the Marriott Hotel and turn it into dorms, under the Payment In Lieu of Taxes agreement between MIT and Cambridge, MIT has to continue paying taxes for 5 years (descending by 20 percent each year)," Cheung wrote. "In other cities, the site would immediately stop paying taxes instead of rolling off over the course of 5 years. As part of its commitment for building on the Volpe site, MIT agreed to 10 years of taxation (descending by 10 percent each year) instead of the standard 5 percent."

While Carlone noted that �it�s unlikely MIT will turn these buildings into campus uses, certainly in our lifetime,� he said, 50 years down the road things could change and he didn�t want to tie the hands of future council members.

�Do we really want all of Kendall Square someday, theoretically, to become MIT, or Harvard Square to theoretically become all Harvard as they purchase properties?� Carlone asked. �I would say undoubtedly the answer is no.�

Carlone said the process of coming to the agreement with MIT was both �eye opening� and �very positive.�

�The taxes just disturb me,� Carlone said.

Long pause, then 'yes'

Councilor Nadeem Mazen agreed with Carlone and suggested that the council take a little extra time to iron out as many of the remaining concerns as they could.

�I just want to do the best job we can,� Mazen said. �Have we ironed out every detail so nothing could go wrong? I just don�t think we have.�

Devereux asked if MIT could strike the language from the proposal allowing the school to convert building use from commercial to educational without consent from the council. Officials from MIT requested a brief recess so they could discuss among themselves.

A short time later they returned and said that the school would not be able to change the agreement. Carlone voted present, and Devereux paused for several moments before voting "yes" along with the rest of the council.

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