Frequently Asked Questions
Facility Enhancement Project with the Cambridge Redevelopment Authority
Together, MFNH and the CRA have identified key project goals:
• Establish a new, fully operational supermarket-style food pantry offering educational, nutritional, and wrap-around services in a centralized location.
• Expand and enhance the food pantry to better serve participants.
• Provide larger, improved space for the Community Advancement team to support food pantry participants.
• Ensure all MFNH spaces are ADA-accessible and comfortable for staff and community members.
• Develop modest-scale, affordable homeownership housing at the rear of the existing parking lot.
In 2021, we completed a strategic plan outlining our facility, space, and service needs. Our Food Pantry and Community Advancement initiatives have benefited over 7,000 households annually, necessitating robust and reliable program spaces.
What Are You Doing Now?
The CRA and The Margaret Fuller Neighborhood House are assembling a team to begin the project's design phase. This team will include an owner's project manager with construction and public procurement expertise, a real estate development and finance consultant, as well as an architect.
I heard that Margaret Fuller Neighborhood House already sold its land to the CRA. Is that true?
Rumors about the sale of MFNH's land to the CRA are unfounded. While a nonbinding agreement exists to explore transferring land for affordable homeownership development, no legal contract exists. Any transfer or sale will only occur if the project plan aligns with our shared goals and effectively serves our community and organizational needs.
How Can I Stay Informed and Give Input?
MFNH and the CRA have gathered extensive community feedback through meetings, surveys, and Port Community Pride Day events over the past three years to stay informed and provide input. Moving forward, we will continue to seek your input and will notify you via email about upcoming community meetings to share early designs in the first half of 2025.