CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — A free, outdoor pop-up roller skating rink is open for the summer in Cambridge's Kendall Square. Rollerama at Kendall Common was put together by MIT's real estate group, and it's part of an initiative to bring the community to the newly-acquired space on the corner of Broadway and Third Street.
The land was previously the site of the U.S. DOT Volpe Center. MIT purchased it in an auction earlier this year. The plan is to redevelop part of the space into a public park. But Sarah Gallop, director of government and community relations at MIT, said they want to bring the community there beforehand.
"Over the last decade, MIT's been focused on bringing increased vibrancy to Kendall Square," Gallop said. "We love the idea of doing that: inviting the community to that corner because that's where a public park will be located in the future as part of the redevelopment."
All summer long, there will be free events, themed skate nights, and entertainment. Starting this weekend, there will also be food from Cambridge restaurants and a beer garden.
Gallop said the rink has been a "hit" since it first opened at the end of June, and there have already been hundreds of visitors.
Kathryn Brown, director of real estate at MIT's Investment Management Company, said the idea emerged when they "realized roller skating is really hard to find in the Greater Boston area."
"When we were thinking about ideas for a pop-up that we could host all summer long, roller skating just seemed like a great fit for the space," Brown said.
Rollerama is open Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays from 2 to 8 p.m., and Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., through Sept. 29.
WBZ NewsRadio's Emma Friedman (@EmmaFriedmanWBZ) reports.
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