Assembly Square Infill and Small Developments | Somerville

Do we know for sure that Assembly Square will be controlled in perpetuity by the current owners or are we speculating?
 
underground said:
Do we know for sure that Assembly Square will be controlled in perpetuity by the current owners or are we speculating?
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I just browsed their portfolio. They own Santana Row and a few other mixed use properties, so it seems likely they are in this long term. That does explain why they are going for higher quality finishes than your average spec builder.

Click the "more" link at the bottom of this page for their mixed use stuff. I will say, Assembly seems to be the cream of the crop as far as their properties are concerned.
 
kjdonovan said:
"Organic" neighborhood? ... neither the Back Bay nor the South End could be considered organic in their growth. Back Bay was largely designed by one firm: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gridley_James_Fox_Bryant

Charles Bulfinch is to thank for the South End: http://www.south-end-boston.com/History .
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Very nice point. Same goes, on a smaller scale, for Chester Square, Worcester Square and Louisburg Square.

I'd also note that Rockefeller Center (NYC) and Embarcadero Center (SF) turned out OK too. And *all* of the projects I cite are "worse" in their being in a "monotonous" architectural style.

My conclusion is that if it works as *somebody's* neighborhood when it opens (even plastic-loving, brand-myopic yuppies, or whatever...they all gotta live somewhere), it'll likely do about as well as any neighborhood can expect to.

I think the "failed" developments that could be cited as counter-examples (and I know there's a long, compelling list) come from an era where people didn't understand how cars and highways "worked" and had let GM's Futurama persuade them of an inhuman model (which we've learned was wrong).
 
commuter guy said:
No mid market or interesting low rent commercial tenants are ever going to be a part of the mix - ever.
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What makes you so sure, especially when establishments like Hair Cuttery are already leasing in Assembly? Looking at some of the other Federal projects, there are plenty of services and other non high-end tenants

Here are a couple examples of projects (and tenants) in Arlington, VA, which also happen to be much more comparable to Assembly then Santana Row.
http://www.federalrealty.com/properties/pentagonrow/
http://www.federalrealty.com/properties/villageatshirlington/
 
I'm not talking about the Hair Cuttery vs. Cartier, I'm talking about the types of places that make great urban neighborhoods, e.g. institutions like Charlies Kitchen, the run of the mill tenants of the old ungentrified Kenmore Square, et. al. They are not coming here nor to the mixed use prudential center anytime soon.

The owner, now or whoever buys it later, will want tenants that are secure and backed by lots of capital, e.g., primarily chains. The owner will never allow the rent for commercial storefronts to drift downward to the point that encourages the local entrepreneur with little money to take a chance on a tavern, restaurant, art gallery or used book store, etc. These are the venues which make for a diverse and stimulating urban neighborhoods. If the market rents even start to lose relative ground, the owner will completely retrofit the place to woo back the latest and greatest chains - Uniglo, REI or Legal Sea Food, Pret A Manger etc.

Don't get me wrong, it's not a bad project at all, I just think we should temper our expectations that this will evolve into a "neighborhood" in the sense that Davis Sq. or Maverick Sq. are neighborhoods.
 
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Hello all, I'm new here but moving to some of the apartments in Assembly Row and thought I'd share what I've found out. I'm an IT guy with a love for architecture and city planning moving to Boston. Love the forums.

Here's the official plan from the developer:

4bREgbu.png


Block 5/Block 7 will include a hotel as well as condos for purchase.

Block 6 is up for lease as office space/R&D space for companies as well as retail.

Lots of plans for high rises and thousands of residential units.

Assembly Square marketplace that includes places like K-Mart and the Home Depot is considered as a possibility for eminent domain in the near future. Federal Realty owns the marketplace but "would be interested" to see what Somerville is planning. T
My apartment costs about 2600 month for a one bedroom. That includes 2 parking spaces. 2250 without the parking.

Some pictures:

fnQY7wK.jpg


LLoZjT1.jpg


whi1BLE.jpg


o10reAD.jpg


0pcH0QN.jpg


njDCk1W.jpg


jgE3JHs.jpg


dU2Py0K.jpg


4jFzZrV.jpg


rSCoOlV.jpg


As a side note: I've added a bunch of information to Google Maps for this development. However, the content needs to be reviewed to be approved. Check out http://google.com/mapamker if you can help.
 
Welcome AK! Thanks for the great info and pics. That place looks nice but self contained (which is a good or bad thing I guess depending on what you want).
 
Here's a good question (and one I'm asking because I don't want to sift through pages and pages on here): what is the break down of housing unit sizes? Is the developer going for more 1 and 2 beds or will they expand for larger units for families? I know in NYC developers are noticing a need for larger units and are combining apartments once meant to be 1 or 2 beds into larger apartments. Also if the city of Somerville is smart they would try to pressure the developers to build something where people can stay as opposed to a YUPY colony.
 
Hah, the apartments are identical in layout and size to One Webster! Even has the same granite, cabinets and kitchen layout. This is the first new development I've seen that has a kitchen large enough to actually cook in.

Btw, thank you for the great plan & pix and welcome to the forum.
 
It's awesome based on that overall plan, how many retailers already have names assigned to them.

Should give lots of hope, that the future phases shouldn't be too far behind as long as the rentals go as quickly.
 
SeamusMcFly said:
It's awesome based on that overall plan, how many retailers already have names assigned to them.

Should give lots of hope, that the future phases shouldn't be too far behind as long as the rentals go as quickly.
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The retailers had expressed interest before the project had even (or barely had) broken ground! It was and is high demand, essentially a mini-Wrentham which is great because now we all don't have to drive out there to get discounted French cookware (Le Creuset) or athletic wear at Nike/Adidas/Puma/Reebok.

I also love how they specify "TEMPORARY surface lots"
 
Smartiro said:
^^^
Families need schools. Not sure how it's solved here.
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Households with children under the age of 18 only make up X% of the population (44% as of 2010 as compared to 48% in 2000 and purportedly continuing to shrink as a percentage). This % is lower when excluding children below the age or 4 or 5. Average household sizes are also shrinking while the number of independent households is increasing. The need isn't necessarily to build new 3 to 4 bedroom units to house families, but rather to build enough units that respond to our demographic needs.

Taking into account the changing demographics, the fact that a group of students or graduates can generally outbid families anyway, the fact that many people living in group situations would prefer to live in studio/one/two-bedroom situations if they were more affordable, and the fact that we already have a large enough existing multi-bedroom housing stock in the region to house families with school age children (if they were not already filled with individuals), this development probably helps realign our current housing with our housing preferences more than a development filled with new (and therefore expensive - so probably still a YUPY colony) 3 to 4 bedroom units that would be easier to afford for a group of college kids. The number households attempting to raise children in urban areas is increasing and there will always be some "family" displacement from the existing large unit housing stock, but, until there is enough supply in low unit housing stock to make independent living more affordable, it is going to be difficult to encourage people to choose their living preferences over affordability and displacement will likely continue.
 
AmericanKryptonite said:
Hello all, I'm new here but moving to some of the apartments in Assembly Row and thought I'd share what I've found out. I'm an IT guy with a love for architecture and city planning moving to Boston. Love the forums.

Here's the official plan from the developer:

4bREgbu.png


Block 5/Block 7 will include a hotel as well as condos for purchase.

Block 6 is up for lease as office space/R&D space for companies as well as retail.

Lots of plans for high rises and thousands of residential units.

Assembly Square marketplace that includes places like K-Mart and the Home Depot is considered as a possibility for eminent domain in the near future. Federal Realty owns the marketplace but "would be interested" to see what Somerville is planning. T
My apartment costs about 2600 month for a one bedroom. That includes 2 parking spaces. 2250 without the parking.

Some pictures:

fnQY7wK.jpg


LLoZjT1.jpg


whi1BLE.jpg


o10reAD.jpg


0pcH0QN.jpg


njDCk1W.jpg


jgE3JHs.jpg


dU2Py0K.jpg


4jFzZrV.jpg


rSCoOlV.jpg


As a side note: I've added a bunch of information to Google Maps for this development. However, the content needs to be reviewed to be approved. Check out http://google.com/mapamker if you can help.
Click to expand...



This is nice!!

Looks like the same setup that a deceased friend of mine stayed in! :cool:
 
I just want to go on the record saying I've already been to the Assembly Row AMC four times, and I'm extremely infatuated with the place. People need to check it out if they haven't been already.
 
Hutchison said:
Households with children under the age of 18 only make up X% of the population (44% as of 2010 as compared to 48% in 2000 and purportedly continuing to shrink as a percentage). This % is lower when excluding children below the age or 4 or 5. Average household sizes are also shrinking while the number of independent households is increasing. The need isn't necessarily to build new 3 to 4 bedroom units to house families, but rather to build enough units that respond to our demographic needs.

Taking into account the changing demographics, the fact that a group of students or graduates can generally outbid families anyway, the fact that many people living in group situations would prefer to live in studio/one/two-bedroom situations if they were more affordable, and the fact that we already have a large enough existing multi-bedroom housing stock in the region to house families with school age children (if they were not already filled with individuals), this development probably helps realign our current housing with our housing preferences more than a development filled with new (and therefore expensive - so probably still a YUPY colony) 3 to 4 bedroom units that would be easier to afford for a group of college kids. The number households attempting to raise children in urban areas is increasing and there will always be some "family" displacement from the existing large unit housing stock, but, until there is enough supply in low unit housing stock to make independent living more affordable, it is going to be difficult to encourage people to choose their living preferences over affordability and displacement will likely continue.
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Well said Hutch.
 
I don't think it's appropriate for the city to take the existing strip mall by eminent domain, but I'd be happy to see just the parking lots taken that way, leaving the stores in place.
 
Ron Newman said:
I don't think it's appropriate for the city to take the existing strip mall by eminent domain
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If Federal already owns the Marketplace, then I don't understand the eminent domain argument either. Given the interest in using a single developer in Union Square, they likely would pursue the same strategy here. So they'd be seizing from Federal to tear down the strip mall and have new Row-esque construsction built by...Federal? (Except of course for the mythical soccer stadium...keep the dream alive!)

Shirley, I must be missing something. :)
 
Agree with Ron, although it would be great if Assembly Square was slowly redeveloped in a way that kept the existing businesses, but housed them in more urban structures. You can't beat direct access to cheap stuff like Home Depot, Christmas Tree Shop, and the craft store (can't remember the name).
 
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