NEI General Contracting reconstructs 16 units destroyed by fire for Just-A-Start

Cambridge, MA NEI General Contracting has completed construction of a three-story building at 50 York St. for Just-A-Start Corp., a community development corporation (CDC) dedicated to building the housing security and economic stability of low  to moderate-income people in Cambridge and nearby communities.

On December 3, 2016, firefighters battled a 10-alarm fire in the Wellington-Harrington neighborhood.The blaze jumped from building to building and ultimately involved 18 buildings, including St. Patrick’s Apartments. Built in 1909, St. Patrick’s Roman Catholic Church was converted to affordable housing in 1991 and it featured an open bell tower and several stained-glass windows. Built on the footprint of the former building, the newly constructed 50 York St. has restored 16 affordable housing units to replace those destroyed by the fire.

The building was designed by Winslow Architects to reflect the scale and style of the triple-deckers typical of the surrounding neighborhood. The project was completed in May 2019 and is occupied by the original tenants.

The project team for 50 York St. includes:

Architect: Winslow Architects, Inc.

Civil engineer: Lenard Engineering, Inc.

Mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) Engineer: Norian Siani Engineering

Structural engineer: DM Berg Consultants

Landscape architect: Hammer + Walsh Design

Geotechnical engineer: Geotechnical Partnership, Inc.

“Just-A-Start is proud to include NEI on the list of partners who all worked together to rebuild 50 York Street after the devastating fire In December 2016,” said Deborah Ruhe, Just-A-Start’s executive director. “Thanks to the team that worked together for over two years after the fire, we have been able to rebuild the 16 affordable units and provide 16 families with safe, affordable homes for their families. NEI has such a strong reputation and track record with similar project and, with their experience and capacity, we are excited to celebrate the York Street ribbon cutting. The rebuild of 50 York St. is a part of Just-A-Start’s larger Consolidation Project, preserving a total of 112 affordable housing units at sites across Cambridge.”

Photo copyright: Liz Cardoso