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New theater, performance spaces coming to Cambridge’s Kendall Square

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More than 30,000 square feet of performance space and a seated theater are coming to Kendall Square through a new venture named 585 Third Street.

Constructed by BioMed Realty, the 16-story laboratory and office building will feature both indoor and outdoor performance areas, as well as a 300-person theater. Other features of 585 Third Street will include a rehearsal studio, indoor garden, and multipurpose rooms that can be used for workshops and similar arts-based activities.

Upon opening in four years, 585 Third Street will be available over 200 nights of the year to artists and cultural organizations looking for a location to share their work. The 585 Third Street theater in particular is expected to be completed in 2025.

BioMed Realty and Global Arts Live have also partnered to establish 585 Arts, a new independent non-profit that will schedule and oversee programming at 585 Third Street and throughout the Canal District. According to a press release, 585 Arts will “place a particular focus on attracting artists and audiences of color and tapping into the vibrant neighborhoods that surround Kendall Square” with assistance from a group of volunteer Boston and Cambridge artists and creatives.

“585 Arts is an important step forward in revitalizing the arts in Cambridge, which have faced tremendous losses in recent years,” says Cambridge Vice Mayor Alana Mallon. “When I voted to move this project forward, I knew the energy and creativity of the Cambridge arts community could do so much with the opportunity it presented. Choosing Global Arts Live to oversee the formation of 585 Arts as the operator for the space shows a tremendous commitment to local, cultural leadership and bodes well for the future of the space.”

The Cambridge City Council unanimously approved the project last December. 

“585 Arts will play the vital role of programming, managing, and publicizing the incredible array of arts experiences we aspire to host at and around 585 Third Street,” says Global Arts Live Board president, Nagesh Mahanthappa. “Our aim for this project is to create a thriving hub for communities and creatives to come together — one that will bring another dimension of diversity and culture to Kendall Square. We are very excited to be working together with BioMed in bringing 585 Arts forward.”

“From the outset, we’ve been committed to working with community partners and arts organizations to develop a sustainable operating model for 585 Third Street,” says Sal Zinno, BioMed Realty’s Vice President of Development. “585 Arts is the culmination of that promise, and Global Arts Live is the right partner to help make it all possible. We can’t wait to get started.”

Stay tuned for more information.