Location: Cambridge, Massachusetts
Certification Level: Parksmart Pioneer
Project Owner: Carpenter & Company, Inc.
Project Operator: Propark America
Project Size: 235,000 square feet and 500 parking spaces
Project Overview:

Charles Hotel Garage, located in the historic Harvard Square in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is a 500-space two-level garage located beneath a mixed-use complex of a luxury hotel, condominiums, retail and a commercial tower. The garage roof supports an exterior courtyard at street level and an interior raised courtyard, each of which regularly host placemaking activities. The garage offers free EV charging, bike sharing, tire inflation, and an innovative small car discount program.

Management highlights:

  • Extensive recycling program with a high participation rate
  • Green cleaning practices with electric sweeper and pressure washing
  • EnergyStar Portfolio Manager monitoring of energy use

Program highlights:

  • Active placemaking with two publicly accessible courtyards and year-round public events including farmer’s markets in the summer and an ice skating rink in the winter
  • A free bike share program for hotel guests and a nearby public bike share station
  • Prolific green marketing program inside garage as well as online

Technology & structure design highlights:

  • Demand-controlled, sensor-activated ventilation system with variable speed fan drives
  • Energy consumption offset with renewable energy credits (RECs)
  • Innovative and automated small car discount program and small car reserved spaces