New Assembly Square Orange Line Stop

Tim Jackson

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Apologies if this has already been posted, but I have not seen it:

Somerville plans new T stop

A $40 million Orange Line station that would be part of a new waterfront district next to the Assembly Square Mall is in the works.

State and federal transportation officials gathered along the banks of the Mystic River yesterday to announce the project. The state is seeking $25 million in federal grants for the station, while a private developer, Federal Realty, has agreed to chip in $15 million. Though federal officials only received the proposal papers two weeks ago, Federal Transit Administrator Jim Simpson asserted, ?I don?t see any reason why it wouldn?t get funded.?

The proposed Assembly Square station is part of a massive redevelopment project by Federal Realty to build a new ?urban village? next to the current Assembly Square Mall that will include residential, office, retail and green space, restaurants and a movie theater. Construction of the T station is expected to last from 2010 to 2013.

Somerville officials hope this proposed MBTA station ? which would fall between Wellington and Sullivan Square stations on the Orange Line ? will attract riders in the Assembly Square area.

While Transportation Secretary Bernard Cohen acknowledged the MBTA is struggling to maintain its infrastructure, he asserted that ?if we lose sight of our need to grow our transportation system, then we?re going to lose sight of our ability to grow our economy.?

LINK


I read a similar article that didn't offer much more in terms of details about the station, but the comments following it seemed to be a bit disapproving of the concept of a new station (I'll say the commenters were split 50/50). I am relatively unfamiliar with the area and the Assembly Square project, so I am really not in a great spot to comment, but I would like to hear other peoples' reactions.
 
What was once a bustling enclosed mall with Kmart and Jordan Marsh became a ghost town by the later 90's. This mall probably opened in the early 80's in this former Ford Manufacturing plant. Through the 80's and first half of 90's it seemed to be doing fairly well.

In 1996, Jordan Marsh, along with all other Jordan Marsh's was converted to Macy*s. However, in 1997 Macy*s closed the store at Assembly Square. The smaller stores quickly retreated and finally a Building 19 salvage store opened in the former department store space.

However, the mall was still dying. The McDonald's and Dunkin Donuts closed and the mall entrance and Kmart's mall entrance were sealed off. For the next few years the mall was closed with only the Building 19 and Kmart remaining, but with the mall entrances sealed. Surprisingly Kmart renovated their store during this time.

I don't understand why this mall failed. It is in a very desirable high traffic location, visible from route 93. The Home Depot next door is one of their highest sales locations and the new Gateway shopping center across the river is always packed. Ikea has and still continues to fight to build a store across the parking lot from the mall, however they have since built another Boston area store, but are still committed to Assembly Square.

In 2004, plans surfaced to de-mall the site. Building 19 was forced to close their store. The mall was gutted out and would be turned into a strip mall of Big Box stores. In late 2005, Christmas Tree Shops opened in part of the former Macy's/Jordan Marsh store. A TJ Maxx / Homegoods also opened in areas that were formally mall. In the winter of 2006, new stores will fill up the rest of the vacancies. The rest of the former Macy's / Jordan Marsh will be leased to Staples. The rest of the former mall area will be leased to Sports Authority, Bed Bath and Beyond and an AC Moore Crafts store. The Kmart store will remain in place.

http://deadmalls.com/malls/assembly_square_mall.html
 
When Macy's closed the former Jordan Marsh store, that was this mall's death knell. All of the smaller stores closed soon after, leaving only Kmart open. It could not compete with the better-located, larger, and newer CambridgeSide Galleria which opened in the early 1990s.
 
Seems like this project will start in the fall.
Somerville's newest T stop gets a second entrance
Somerville Journal
By Meghann Ackerman
Jan 12, 2010

The Orange Line stop at Assembly Square will have two headhouses, according to the MBTA's latest design plans for the project.

Thanks to an extra $10 million in state Highway Flex Funding, a second entrance, which residents and city officials have been lobbying for since last June's first design meeting, could be added. The rest of the project is being funded with $25 million from the MBTA and $15 million from Federal Realty Investment Trust, the group developing Assembly Square, and IKEA.

The second entrance, known as the south headhouse, will be near IKEA on IKEA Way. The north headhouse is on Foley Street with a bridge over G Street that leads riders to the train platform.

Somerville Transportation Equity Partnership co-founder Wig Zamore called the addition of a second entrance a ?terrific response? to resident concerns.

?The focus on on accessibility really helped all of us,? he said.

There were still concerns about accessibility, however. Several people brought up that at eight feet, the sidewalk around the station might be too narrow for the amount of traffic it will see.

Residents will get another chance to weigh in on design plans shortly before construction begins, which is slated to start in the fall of 2010. The station is expected to be open by the end of 2013.
 
^^W00t!!! This is fantastic!!

Soon I'll have another easy commute to get to a mall and buy a pair of pants for work. Why is it going to take 2+ years to make one of these stations? The community college and Sullivan Square ones look like they were glued together in a week. Does anybody else think those stations under a major highway are awkward? Still beats driving though.....since I can get drunk and not have to worry about a DUI!!
 
^^W00t!!! This is fantastic!!

Soon I'll have another easy commute to get to a mall and buy a pair of pants for work. Why is it going to take 2+ years to make one of these stations? The community college and Sullivan Square ones look like they were glued together in a week. Does anybody else think those stations under a major highway are awkward? Still beats driving though.....since I can get drunk and not have to worry about a DUI!!

You're not funny when you try too hard.
 
I'm not trying to be funny. I actually prefer to get my dockers from a sears or JC Penny rather than an expensive store on Newbury St.
 
I have a feeling that if this forum got together on a weekend, we could build the new stop for about one one hundredth of that butdget using only materials from ikea
 
I just think there should be some covered access to Ikea straight from the station. If they want people to take the T to get there, then there ought to be a way to get there from the station where you don't have to go outside. Also, if getting people to not drive there is the idea, a bunch of zipcar spots would be obligatory. Also, these zipcars should be big ones, which can fit flatpacks.


The station looks really nice though, and i think the Charles comparison is dead on. This design language seems to be really common with the T, and if they can keep all the glass clean, it works nicely.
 
Now whether a transit oriented development actually occurs....otherwise we're getting another Bowdoin station, but worse.
 
Other than the proposed TOD and the stores who will be using this station? I'd love to see ridership figures. It seems like the highway cuts this area and station off from the existing neighborhood.
 
But it won't pass code.

Neither will Arlington, Copley or Kenmore in ten years. You can buy a futon with better build quality than any of those renovated stations.

Though assembling said futon may take longer than the renovations.
 

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