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The Cambridge City Council outlined steps Monday to potentially transform the tunnel into an underground venue.

A long-abandoned Harvard Square tunnel could become an entertainment venue within the next decade. 

The Cambridge City Council filed a memo to continue discussing repurposing the tunnel into an underground music venue on Monday. The city began seriously discussing the potential venue earlier this year and is now taking steps to make headway towards a feasibility study and eventually, construction. 

In a statement to the council, Cambridge City Manager Yi-An Huang said, “It is clear that Harvard Square, like all of our business districts, must continue to adapt and evolve in response to shifting economic conditions and regional competition.”

Huang said this project would have to be done in very close collaboration with the MBTA since the transit authority owns the space, which borders the underground city-owned Harvard Square Hotel parking lot, the council said. 

“At this time, I remain open to continuing the conversation with the HSBA and other stakeholders,” Huang added. “However, I believe it is prudent to await further engagement from MassDOT and the MBTA before proceeding with any formal next steps. Their input will be essential in assessing the feasibility, regulatory considerations, … long-term implications of this proposal, and … identifying a viable funding source for the feasibility phase will also be a critical step in determining the path forward.”

In a statement to the council, John DiGiovanni, president of Trinity Property Management and owner of several Harvard Square properties, noted “It has been several years since we began engaging in the City Manager’s office on this matter. … It is not the time to await further engagement from the state. It is time for the city to lead.”

If the MBTA and the Harvard Square Business Association are on board, the council will then vote on allocating $72,000 of the $300,000 already allocated for this project to create a request for proposal that will address any lasting questions regarding the tunnel’s conversion into a venue, according to the council.

“Unless the owners are willing to move forward, … we should not commit any funds whatsoever until we have assurance,” City Councilor Patty Nolan said.

If the conversations go well and the request for proposal is written, the Cambridge City Council would then vote on committing $500,000 to $1 million to conduct a feasibility study. While a private company or entertainment venue could foot the bill for the study, that would not guarantee them the space as that will go to the highest bidder, Huang said.

“Then, you would need to fund the full package of improvements, which are quite significant when you think about what it would take to make that space accessible, safe, … and meet code,” Deputy City Manager Katherine Watkins said.

The entire process will take several years.

“I think even the most excited proponents really believe that at the most aggressive timeline we are not going to see a tunnel come online for five, probably closer to 10 years,” Huang said.

Since the venue’s construction will take a while, if it happens at all, Huang and members of the council recommended implementing shorter-term methods to revitalize Cambridge’s commercial districts in the meantime. Councilor Nolan suggested focusing on the pedestrianization of Harvard Square. 

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