Assembly Square Infill and Small Developments | Somerville

That is a f'in amazing video.

This is the use and design aesthetic that should have guided Seaport development. Where it's going, though, I'm not sure I believe it will work. It's all nice and swell to have a city "feel" until you turn a corner and see out into the parking lot that surrounds the isolated development. That's sort of how I feel about Marina Bay in Quincy. It would be nice if the next Assembly Row-like development could add to or enhance an existing neighborhood rather build an isolated pocket of engineered urbanity.
 
choo said:
ya, won't this have like 5000 units at full build. Plus some destination stores, shops and attractions (legoland, movie theater). I think this will be like legacy place in dedham or derby street in hingham but way bigger, better layout and direct T access. It's going to be a bit isolated from Medford and East Somerville by the river and 28, but its still going to have good access. Plus add in 4500 workers.
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I moved to Dedham last September and I quickly learned that you steer clear of Legacy Place on Friday nights and the weekends. There is never any parking and the movie theater is typically overrun with the local teenage population. Plus, if you do not make reservations, there is generally an hour or two wait at all of the restaurants. Legacy Place and Derby Street are also successful because there is nothing really surrounding them, so they become the destination spot for the locals.

When Assembly Row opens, I think it will be busy at first, but the crowds will eventually dwindle. Somerville already has several "destination" spots that give you the urban experience without the artificiality that Assembly Row is creating. Plus, this place will easily charge Boston prices, so it will be hard to argue that someone living in Boston will take the T out there when you have the majority of what is being offered right down the street.

Even though I may seem critical, I will say that this development is a huge improvement for Somerville. The success of Assembly Row, however, will remain to be seen.
 
akmags said:
I moved to Dedham last September and I quickly learned that you steer clear of Legacy Place on Friday nights and the weekends. There is never any parking and the movie theater is typically overrun with the local teenage population. Plus, if you do not make reservations, there is generally an hour or two wait at all of the restaurants. Legacy Place and Derby Street are also successful because there is nothing really surrounding them, so they become the destination spot for the locals.

When Assembly Row opens, I think it will be busy at first, but the crowds will eventually dwindle. Somerville already has several "destination" spots that give you the urban experience without the artificiality that Assembly Row is creating. Plus, this place will easily charge Boston prices, so it will be hard to argue that someone living in Boston will take the T out there when you have the majority of what is being offered right down the street.

Even though I may seem critical, I will say that this development is a huge improvement for Somerville. The success of Assembly Row, however, will remain to be seen.
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Definitely not a 1:1 comparison with those developments, but they are going for a similar dynamic at a different scale. For me, like you, from the limited time I have gone to those places, they are definitely suffering from the Yogi Berra classic that "nobody goes there anymore, it's too crowded". Every shopping center will take that problem and Assembly is close enough to get the Medford, Everett, Charlestown and Somerville and Cambridge. On the map, thats 200k within a 5 mile radius. Plus 5k daily workers and say 5k residences on sight. Then add in the destination draw of some place, and I think this place will be very solid. They will need to run the Davis to Assembly bus much more frequently (#91?)
 
If the initial buildout of these developments is successful (and with 4,500 workers required to go there five days a week, plus residents, it's hard to say it will be quiet) then those parking lots will be gone within 20 years (assuming a few recessions and political roadblocks), replaced by garages and more towers. This could be a bizarro world where TOD swallows suburban box stores. Yeah, it's not going to win a Pritzker, but given what has been there since the days of Gov. Winthrop, it ain't all that bad. I already walk over there from my place to enjoy the river park. Despite a mess of highways, when it ultimately connects to Charlestown it will be quite lurvely.

Maybe we should bid for an extension of the Tip O'Neil tunnel... bury 93 from Charlestown to the Middlesex Fells. :)
 
akmags said:
When Assembly Row opens, I think it will be busy at first, but the crowds will eventually dwindle. Somerville already has several "destination" spots that give you the urban experience without the artificiality that Assembly Row is creating. Plus, this place will easily charge Boston prices, so it will be hard to argue that someone living in Boston will take the T out there when you have the majority of what is being offered right down the street.

Even though I may seem critical, I will say that this development is a huge improvement for Somerville. The success of Assembly Row, however, will remain to be seen.
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The retail at Assembly Row is destination-driven. It is not standard market-rate "retail." It's an outlet complex and there is a massive demand in Boston for local, T-accessible outlet shopping. They've lined up major brands to have factory/outlet stores there. The droves of tourists that pack the tourbuses to Wrentham will now be able to just hop on the Orange Line and go shop there instead.

I spoke to many tourists and locals alike when I was working at the AE in Faneuil Hall about their desire for outlet shopping in the city.
 
Originally Posted by Brad Plaid
I really hope these are not the final buildings. There's precious little here with any kind of design integrity and certainly nothing progressive.

fattony said:
Really? Watch the video and see if you feel the same. I think this looks excellent compared to 99% of everything else being built around here. Urban, minimal car presence, squares filled with seating and activity. Its very Nordic. Reminds me of Christianshavn in Copenhagen or Sodermalm in Stockholm.

My biggest concern is that everything will be new at the same time that might be a little sterile and outdoor-mall-like. Not because its poorly designed, but because it will be a long time before it gets broken in. And while it is huge for a single development, it is pretty small for a functioning neighborhood.
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It's the architecture I was criticizing. Urbanistically it's likely to function well enough for what it is and it seems there are plenty of amenities for that to happen. The look of it though is Generic Everywhere. Not a single Wow! building. Not even close.
 
Brad Plaid said:
Originally Posted by Brad Plaid
I really hope these are not the final buildings. There's precious little here with any kind of design integrity and certainly nothing progressive.



It's the architecture I was criticizing. Urbanistically it's likely to function well enough for what it is and it seems there are plenty of amenities for that to happen. The look of it though is Generic Everywhere. Not a single Wow! building. Not even close.
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Sorry for the aside, and what will sound like butt-kissing, but your inclination towards Modernism and genuine differing opinions architecturally than most posters here is very refreshing. I do not have refined architectural opinions, but being able to hear both sides is quite interesting and what makes this site worth coming back to. I, personally, think the white building on Block two with the Millenium Place 3-esque windows will look great. But that's just me.
 
Malls were originally supposed to have their parking lots filled in with development, so if anything, the bizarro outcome is the one we have been stuck with for the last fifty years.
 
Anyone looking for a job as a master builder? Must be willing to work on a small scale.

http://somerville.patch.com/groups/...master-model-builder-after-boston-competition

Somerville's LEGOLAND Discovery Center is set to hold it's Brick Factor competition at the Boston Public Library on Saturday and Sunday.

To provide a brief summary, more than 100 competitors from around the Boston area will spend the weekend undergoing a series of challenges to build things out of LEGOs.

At the end of the weekend, the winner of the competition will be offered a full-time job as LEGOLAND Discovery Center Boston's "master builder." LEGOLAND is expected to open in Somerville's Assembly Row in May.

The competition takes place at the Copley Square branch of the Boston Public Library, in the library's changing exhibit room (access on Dartmouth Street).

It's free and open to the public, and spectators are invited. You can watch the competition from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday.
 
If 10 year old me knew that was a career possibility, my life would be very different right now.
 
Legoland is going to be narnia for college students. Nerds or otherwise. I used to go to their Discovery Center in Enfield, CT 20+ years ago as a pre-teen when the whole concept of a LegoLand destination was just a small-scale experiment they were toying with. The biggest thing I noticed on those trips was that the adults had just as much fun as the kids.

I've been waiting for the day they plunked one of these right in the nerve center of a big college city or a big tech sector. It is such a natural constituency for them you'll wonder why this wasn't built earlier. Way bigger destination draw from all walks of life than you would've ever imagined. Pitch-perfect place to be locating this.
 
Shepard said:
That is a f'in amazing video.

This is the use and design aesthetic that should have guided Seaport development. Where it's going, though, I'm not sure I believe it will work. It's all nice and swell to have a city "feel" until you turn a corner and see out into the parking lot that surrounds the isolated development. That's sort of how I feel about Marina Bay in Quincy. It would be nice if the next Assembly Row-like development could add to or enhance an existing neighborhood rather build an isolated pocket of engineered urbanity.
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Shep -- " It would be nice if the next Assembly Row-like development could add to or enhance an existing neighborhood rather build an isolated pocket of engineered urbanity. " -- that's almost never going to happen post the West End and Government Center

These large-scale neighborhood building type developments have to be on empty, parking lots, warehouses, old railroad yards -- typically well isolated from traditional urban areas -- singularly because the land is available from one or a small number of owners at a reasonable price

The only other way is if there is a very large fire such as the Boston of 1872 or an earthquake, etc. -- then you might "luck-out" and end-up with a nice cleared area to build on Washington St. next to the old South, etc.
 
PaulC said:
video from Neoscape

http://player.vimeo.com/video/65333595
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Paul -- The video is impressive -- However, let's see how things look circa 2024 when its celebrating its 10th anniversary of the start of things

I remember seeing some really impressive models and renderings for any number of mega developments around here that are:

[1] in some cases still a developing -- e.g. Fan Pier, North Point
[2] and others -- well they never quite made it [e.g. Telecom City now attempting renaissance as the RiversEdge]

On the other hand some like the Pru re-do have come out better than could have been expected
 
F-Line to Dudley said:
Legoland is going to be narnia for college students. Nerds or otherwise. I used to go to their Discovery Center in Enfield, CT 20+ years ago as a pre-teen when the whole concept of a LegoLand destination was just a small-scale experiment they were toying with. The biggest thing I noticed on those trips was that the adults had just as much fun as the kids.

I've been waiting for the day they plunked one of these right in the nerve center of a big college city or a big tech sector. It is such a natural constituency for them you'll wonder why this wasn't built earlier. Way bigger destination draw from all walks of life than you would've ever imagined. Pitch-perfect place to be locating this.
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F-Line -- what we need is a LegoLand in the same complex with Knex -- Knex does large moving things much better than legos though legos have gotten a hold of the smaller robots and such with Mindstorm

http://www.knex.com/Shop/home.php?c...wtype=search&gclid=COTyibWck7wCFQdnOgodv0UA2g
 
whighlander said:
Shep -- " It would be nice if the next Assembly Row-like development could add to or enhance an existing neighborhood rather build an isolated pocket of engineered urbanity. " -- that's almost never going to happen post the West End and Government Center

These large-scale neighborhood building type developments have to be on empty, parking lots, warehouses, old railroad yards -- typically well isolated from traditional urban areas -- singularly because the land is available from one or a small number of owners at a reasonable price
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EDITED FOR KINDNESS. I don't agree with Wighlander, ever, but that's no excuse to pick a stupid fight on the internet.
 
I don't know what BigE said before editing... But anyway.... Several easy examples come to mind that wouldn't involve bulldozing existing neighborhoods. Beacon Yards. South Bay. Even City Hall Plaza.

whighlander said:
Shep -- " It would be nice if the next Assembly Row-like development could add to or enhance an existing neighborhood rather build an isolated pocket of engineered urbanity. " -- that's almost never going to happen post the West End and Government Center

These large-scale neighborhood building type developments have to be on empty, parking lots, warehouses, old railroad yards -- typically well isolated from traditional urban areas -- singularly because the land is available from one or a small number of owners at a reasonable price

The only other way is if there is a very large fire such as the Boston of 1872 or an earthquake, etc. -- then you might "luck-out" and end-up with a nice cleared area to build on Washington St. next to the old South, etc.
Click to expand...
 
bigeman312 said:
EDITED FOR KINDNESS. I don't agree with Wighlander, ever, but that's no excuse to pick a stupid fight on the internet.
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Bidge -- I ask for the threads indulgence -- I just want to test your statement: "I don't agree with Wighlander, ever"

I'm making a definitive state which I hope you will agree with:

Both Hitler and Stalin were evil personages responsible for millions of unnecessary deaths and much destruction

Now back to the thread

My comment about what Shep said related to Shep longing for a new large development attached to something already urban

I simply stated a fairly obvious fact that the era of tearing down existing neighborhoods in Boston was over and that future large developments would have to be done on industrial waste land or empty transportation sites as there is no otherwise vacant land in the inner core of Greater Boston -- except parks and nature reserves

Shep then essentially ratified the concept by ticking off some examples of potential future sites meeting my criteria and then threw in City Hall Plaza

City Hall Plaza is a prime example which I've long advocated as a site for a 300m class tower -- so there's no argument on that one
 
whighlander said:
Bidge -- I ask for the threads indulgence -- I just want to test your statement: "I don't agree with Wighlander, ever"

I'm making a definitive state which I hope you will agree with:

Both Hitler and Stalin were evil personages responsible for millions of unnecessary deaths and much destruction

Now back to the thread

My comment about what Shep said related to Shep longing for a new large development attached to something already urban

I simply stated a fairly obvious fact that the era of tearing down existing neighborhoods in Boston was over and that future large developments would have to be done on industrial waste land or empty transportation sites as there is no otherwise vacant land in the inner core of Greater Boston -- except parks and nature reserves

Shep then essentially ratified the concept by ticking off some examples of potential future sites meeting my criteria and then threw in City Hall Plaza

City Hall Plaza is a prime example which I've long advocated as a site for a 300m class tower -- so there's no argument on that one
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I agree with the statement "that the era of tearing down existing neighborhoods in Boston was over" but I disagree with the statement that "future large developments would have to be done on industrial waste land or empty transportation sites as there is no otherwise vacant land in the inner core of Greater Boston -- except parks and nature reserves."

Future development can be done, by integrating into the urban environment around it (the original idea), by following a model similar to Samuels in Fenway or Mount Vernon in Allston. These are just a couple examples of a cohesive neighborhood-style vision, in which an urban environment was constructed in a previously un-urban environment. All they did was take advantage of underutilized land, not necessarily vacant land. Development on a neighborhood scale does not require a clean slate or the demolition of a neighborhood, just good planning.
 
bigeman312 said:
I agree with the statement "that the era of tearing down existing neighborhoods in Boston was over" but I disagree with the statement that "future large developments would have to be done on industrial waste land or empty transportation sites as there is no otherwise vacant land in the inner core of Greater Boston -- except parks and nature reserves."

Future development can be done, by integrating into the urban environment around it (the original idea), by following a model similar to Samuels in Fenway or Mount Vernon in Allston. These are just a couple examples of a cohesive neighborhood-style vision, in which an urban environment was constructed in a previously un-urban environment. All they did was take advantage of underutilized land, not necessarily vacant land. Development on a neighborhood scale does not require a clean slate or the demolition of a neighborhood, just good planning.
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Bige -- Samuels for all his multi-faceted projects is just puttering around the edges of the existing Fenway neighborhood. The scale of Assembly Sq or the Seaport / Innovation District is dramatically larger than what Samuels is doing and necessitates a vacant or substantially vacant large piece of land -- such as Assembly Sq., North Point, Beacon Park or the old South Boston Seaport

The only other major sites which can be intensively developed in the Boston Core is the rail yards and such in Readville and slightly outside the Core Hanscom when the Air Force abandons it
 
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