Media Contact:

Colleen Turner

617.429.2217

colleen@btc-boston.com

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

Kendall Square Community Skating Rink Opens to Great Fanfare

Free skating; performances and guest appearances by Former Boston Bruin Lyndon Byers, Senate President Robert Travaglini, Senator Jarrett Barrios and
Representative Marty Walz part of gala celebration.

 

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., December 7, 2006 — The City of Cambridge was presented today with a new public destination for its many families, students, businesses and visitors: The Kendall Square Community Skating Rink.  On hand to celebrate this “gift” to the
Cambridge community was former Boston Bruin and WAAF-FM Sports Jock Lyndon Byers, Senate President Robert E. Travaglini, Senator Jarrett T. Barrios and Representative Marty Walz, as well as City Councilor Anthony Galluccio.  Open between now and March 15, 2007, the 8,400-square-foot outdoor ice rink offers skate rentals, lessons, drinks and light snacks, locker rentals, restrooms, changing areas and a comfy place to warm up!  Hours of operation are Tuesday through Thursday, 12-8pm; Friday 12-9pm; Saturday 1-9pm and Sundays and Holidays 1-6pm.  The facility is also available for private parties and events on non-holiday Mondays.  For information, please call Charles River Recreation at 617.492.0941 or visit www.kendallsquare.org.

 

The gala opening celebration began with a free skate from noon until 3:00 p.m., followed by performances from the Skating Club of Boston and Frozen Frog Productions, as well as a special guest visit by SpongeBob SquarePants.  Former Boston Bruin and WAAF-FM Sports Jock Lyndon Byers emceed the event that included appearances by Senate President Travaglini, Senator Barrios and Representative Walz.  Selections from the Longy School of Music’s brass quartet; live, on-site ice sculpting; complimentary snacks; and a giant life-like cake from Montilios depicting the new rink for all guests to enjoy rounded out the party.

 

Byers, better known as “LB” on the popular WAAF-FM Hillman Morning Show, played host for the afternoon, greeting fans and lending his inimitable
humor and style to the ceremonies.  He noted, “Skating is the perfect winter sport and what better place to do it than a well-maintained outdoor ice rink?  When I was a kid learning to skate in Saskatchewan I wished I’d had access to a rink like this.”

 

Senate President Travaglini observed, “The addition of the Kendall Square Community Skating Rink to this neighborhood is terrific.  It is great to see a corporation like Lyme contribute to the community by offering families, visitors and students an outdoor activity that encourages great exercise, provides fresh air and gives folks the chance to meet new people in a wholesome setting.”

 

“This community-based rink is the ideal addition to the look and feel of Kendall Square’s neighborhood,” David Clem, managing partner of Lyme Properties, explained.  “Activity makes physical space come alive.  That’s why in planning Kendall Square our goal was to move away from the more traditional segregated concept of zoning and truly create a mixed use environment that brings together all elements of a neighborhood – business, residential, retail, travel, entertainment and more.  This diversity of uses and activities is what our tenants demand.”

 

Kendall Square is already home to a music series in the summer, featuring a wide variety of local and national performers; a quiet and reflective plaza on the south side that is ideal for relaxing and reading; and it will soon offer full
access to the Broad Canal for boating, canoeing, kayaking and more.  The ice skating facility is managed by Charles River Recreation, home of the Massachusetts outdoor enthusiast.

 

The 10-acre Kendall Square project, as a whole, is designed to knit itself into the fabric of the Cambridge community.  The formerly polluted brownfields site, which was once home to an industrial plant, was recently honored with a Phoenix Award from the Environmental Protection Agency recognizing the transformation of a blighted and contaminated area into productive use.  It is now the largest life sciences property in New England and home to the world headquarters of Genzyme Corporation.  "We are pleased to be able to contribute to the revitalization of this site, while also offering to our employees the many advantages that this location provides," said Joan Wood, Genzyme's senior vice president of leadership and organization development.

 

The new ice rink, like all aspects of the Kendall Square effort, will be fully accessible to the public and in no way represent a corporate office park or private development. To that end, each building is designed with a unique identity and all common sidewalks and streets are fully integrated into the broader cityscape. A key factor in making Kendall Square a true neighborhood is the addition of the area’s first new residential tower in over
20 years.  Watermark Cambridge adds 321 luxury rental units that feature views of the Boston skyline to the mix.  Also of particular note is the exciting ConstellationCenter to be located at 585 Kendall Street and offering four distinctive performance halls specially designed to deliver exceptional audience experiences that combine the latest technology with the comfort and ambience of a fine European theater.  Rounding out the area is BioMed Realty Trust, a REIT formed in 2004 dedicated to focusing on the unique real estate needs of the life sciences industry.

 

Lyme Properties, which specializes in the acquisition, development and leasing of first-quality life science and mixed-use properties located in prime educational, research and medical centers, teamed up with BioMed Reatly Trust, ConstellationCenter and Twining Properties, developers of the Watermark Cambridge apartment community, on its Kendall Square project.

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