A high-rise tower with mixed-income apartments will soon rise in Cambridge’s Central Square above existing brick and other low-rise buildings that harken back to earlier days.

The $190 million, 308,000-sq-ft Mass+Main development, named for its location at the intersection of Massachusetts Ave. and Main St., broke ground on Nov. 16, Twining Properties announced. The tower will be among the tallest in Cambridge. 

The building designed by CBT Architects to LEED Gold standards, will include 308 apartments with green roof terraces, energy tracking, wind energy and smoke-free apartments and 17,000 square feet of retail on the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s Red Line between MIT and Harvard University.

The development is a joint venture between developer Twining Properties and its capital partner Mass PRIM.  Construction of the three buildings will be completed in phases beginning in fall 2018 through mid-2020.

Mass+Main will extend Central Square’s shopping district with a diverse collection of small retail shops, restaurants and food vendors, according to a Twining’s statement.

“As someone who has long been working to ensure that Cambridge adds to our stock of affordable housing and who wants to find ways to breathe new life into Central Square, I’m excited because Mass+Main moves us closer to both of these goals,” Cambridge Mayor E. Denise Simmons said in a statement.

The transit oriented development accessible to the Red Line and MBTA buses, will have car sharing, electric charging stations, bike sharing with an onsite Hubway Station, where bikes are available.