Terms of the 15-year lease at 215 First St. were not disclosed but Townsend says space in the building generally rents for between $22 and $26 per sf gross. The property is one of Kendall Square's most recognized landmark and a designated historic building.

The school, owned by Career Education Corp., selected the Cambridge location not only because it fit the schools space needs but because of the city's educational and culinary reputation. "The building worked well for a couple of reasons," explains Townsend. "It had space that was virtually columnless, which worked well for their kitchens, it's a well recognized building very close to public transportation and there's plenty of parking in the area."

But it was the city's distinction as the home of Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology along with its reputation as a culinary destination that helped solidify the school's decision, Townsend adds. The six-story brick, class B building was built in 1895 and converted to office use in the 1980s. It is owned by Capital Properties and numbers among its tenants the Cambridge Racquet & Fitness Club, which leases 30,000 sf; Nomadics, a biotech firm; and ALS Therapy Development, which lease a combined total of 30,000 sf.

It will be the 15th culinary school opened by Career Education in the US. Le Cordon Bleu established its first culinary school in Paris in 1895.