Residents said they were concerned that the retail center would lead to traffic congestion and displace small merchants in nearby Central Square.

"MIT has given no satisfactory response to the concerns of the neighbors," said Cambridgeport resident Bill Cavellini.

Cavellini detailed six unanswered questions that the neighbors had about the street takeover, most notably that they were never given the chance to see the updated Blanche Street design proposal.

Councillor Katherine Triantafillou and Mayor Reeves also objected to MIT's proposal.

"MIT just does what they want and the city council be damned," Triantafillou said.

But the MIT officials at the meeting said that the residents' questions had been answered satisfactorily and repeatedly in previous public meetings.

Reeves and Triantafillou cast the two dissenting votes to the Blanche Street project proposal.