Assembly Square Infill and Small Developments | Somerville

[Officejab]

Re: Assembly Square Redevelopment

http://somerville.patch.com/articles/city-still-waiting-on-ikea-to-make-decision-says-mayor

"If IKEA is not going to move forward, then my comments to them last year was we expect you to work with us in what happens to that parcel," Curtatone said, "because Somerville, the city of Somerville, will not sit on its hands. We will dictate what will happen there, and we'll be firm in that position."

I believe the extension runs out in mid-July for IKEA to act on the parcel. I doubt IKEA will give up 10 prime acres of real estate easily and this could me bogged down in litigation for years.

I'm wondering if Kraft and Curtatone already have an agreement in place for a stadium in that spot, and if IKEA does build then brickbottom is the fall back plan. Personally, I feel that parcel is perfect for a 20,000 seat soccer stadium and traffic would be disrupted less frequently.

 

[BostonUrbEx]

Re: Assembly Square Redevelopment

For runner/cyclists like me, the toughest thing to consider is that this area is where there will be, for years to come, a 1/3 mile dead spot on the the Mystic River series of bike paths. Between Assembly Square and 99/Rutherford Ave this is the only disconnect from the Mystic Lakes to Boston Harbor.

Boston's proposed redesign of Sullivan Square hints that the MBTA depot in this spot may be redeveloped to permit public access, but part of the space is within Somerville. Right now the only way to reach Charlestown from this development is to bite the bullet and run through some nasty-looking private property (not that I've ever done such a thing)

I've thought about this, too, and I've made some Google Maps with this stretch included on a Mystic River bikepath. That's not private property, it's MBTA property. It's their Charlestown bus shops. MassDOT could possibly get their foot in on make a path their, or even cantilevering it over the river just a little with a boardwalk of sorts.

 

[MBTAddict]

Re: Assembly Square Redevelopment

How did that entire area of Somerville/Medford/Everett/Malden end up being such an autotopia? I shudder when I see pedestrians from Everett crossing the Rt 16 bridge to the east of Wellington. I can't imagine walking or biking anywhere around there.

....

Correct me if I'm wrong, but a lot of the problem, at least in Somerville, was all the place that was cleared for the Inner Belt Expressway. They knocked everything down for the highway, and then the highway never came.

 

[kjdonovan]

Re: Assembly Square Redevelopment

I've thought about this, too, and I've made some Google Maps with this stretch included on a Mystic River bikepath. That's not private property, it's MBTA property. It's their Charlestown bus shops. MassDOT could possibly get their foot in on make a path their, or even cantilevering it over the river just a little with a boardwalk of sorts.

There is a a sliver of that area that is not (I think) MBTA property since it is at least superficially gated off from the rest of the MBTA bus depot. Don't know who owns that. Maybe MBTA and they just use it to dump scrap metal and sand.

I fear the demand for stitching this section of the bike path together will remain extremely low unless future residents at Assembly Square demand pedestrian access to Charlestown (or Townies want access to the new T stop at Assembly Square). Either way, it will require both Sullivan Square's complete overhaul as well as everything going hunky dory at Assembly Square. Both look to be years down the pike.

Also, does anyone know the story behind that massive gray wasteland on the other side of the Mystic where the commuter rail crosses, parallel to 99? It looks like a long-derelict shipping pier.

 

[vanshnookenraggen]

Re: Assembly Square Redevelopment

Correct me if I'm wrong, but a lot of the problem, at least in Somerville, was all the place that was cleared for the Inner Belt Expressway. They knocked everything down for the highway, and then the highway never came.

Not Assembly Sq. The are that was cleared is the other side of I93, Inner Belt Road (hence the name).

 

[Semass]

Re: Assembly Square Redevelopment

Also, does anyone know the story behind that massive gray wasteland on the other side of the Mystic where the commuter rail crosses, parallel to 99? It looks like a long-derelict shipping pier.

I believe that used to be a Monsanto Chemical factory and it is super-duper contaminated. Same with the land beneath the Costco. Great big cap in place there.

That space was also used for materials storage during the big dig.

 

[Ron Newman]

Re: Assembly Square Redevelopment

What's now the Inner Belt Road industrial area was one humongous railroad yard before it was turned into what is there now. Nothing was demolished for the Inner Belt freeway.

 

[AmericanFolkLegend]

Re: Assembly Square Redevelopment

I believe that used to be a Monsanto Chemical factory and it is super-duper contaminated. Same with the land beneath the Costco. Great big cap in place there.

That space was also used for materials storage during the big dig.

Yes. That gray wasteland in Everett is the former site of Monsanto Chemical. In fact, one of the roads leading into the site is named Chemical Lane (notwithstanding Everett's attempts to change the name of the road to Hudson Lane or something like that).
Now there's just some Nat Grid transmission facilities there and a lot of carcinogens.

 

[Ron Newman]

Re: Assembly Square Redevelopment

Shaw's wanted to build a supermarket there. I recall that it didn't happen because the state didn't want a new grade crossing built across the commuter rail tracks from Route 99 to Gateway Center, and Shaw's insisted on Route 99 access if they were to build a store.

 

[BostonUrbEx]

Re: Assembly Square Redevelopment

Shaw's wanted to build a supermarket there. I recall that it didn't happen because the state didn't want a new grade crossing built across the commuter rail tracks from Route 99 to Gateway Center, and Shaw's insisted on Route 99 access if they were to build a store.

Why not? Signaling is all set up, and the private crossing there has working lights and bells, but there's no gates. Just need to install gates.

 

[briv]

Re: Assembly Square Redevelopment

This whole development is shit. It's the bastard child of a gated community and a constellation of big box stores. It's a self-contained, auto-centric, pod detached from the greater community and buffered by a small sea of parking lots. This will not add to Somerville's livability or quality of life. The only thing this will add to Somerville is tax revenue--if they're lucky. But it will lose so much potential.

 

[AmericanFolkLegend]

Re: Assembly Square Redevelopment

Briv, were you hitting the sauce last night? A lot of late night angry posts...

 

[statler]

Re: Assembly Square Redevelopment

If his postings from last night were the result of a drinking binge, the next round is on me.

 

[czsz]

Re: Assembly Square Redevelopment

This is Briv's Bullworth moment. He's telling it exactly like it is.

 

[whighlander]

Re: Assembly Square Redevelopment

This is Briv's Bullworth moment. He's telling it exactly like it is.

Unfortunately -- we need a Bulfinch moment -- as in Charles and the "Tontine Crescent", Faneuil hall, New State Hose, etc....{pick you favorite}

The problem with Sommerville is that it has always been a dumping ground for:
messy / dirty industry
transportation back-end
housing for immigrants

Note that you can not blame this on car-culture or some scheme to destroy urban infrastructure -- as Sommerville grew during the era of street-running trolleys

Also note that the waterfront in Charlestown, Everett, and Chelsea, as well as some other places such as what today is known as the "Rivers Edge" in Medford / Malden was treated similarly

 

[Shepard]

Re: Assembly Square Redevelopment

^ But you can blame car culture for how those industrial areas are being redeveloped. Compare to Amsterdam's industrial eastern docks and islands.

 

[whighlander]

Re: Assembly Square Redevelopment

^ But you can blame car culture for how those industrial areas are being redeveloped. Compare to Amsterdam's industrial eastern docks and islands.

Shep -- you sound like a Rotter of a dam Heineken ad

 

[mass88]

Re: Assembly Square Redevelopment

Mayor of Somerville was live on CNBC's Squawk on the Street talking about Wal Mart opening up at the old Circuit City location.

 

[Ron Newman]

Re: Assembly Square Redevelopment

Was he for, against, or noncommittal about this proposal?

 

[ant8904]

Re: Assembly Square Redevelopment

Why not? Signaling is all set up, and the private crossing there has working lights and bells, but there's no gates. Just need to install gates.

I want to re-highlight this again. Because it does have a point.
Chemical Lane looks like I can go take that way right now if I want too, funny that after so many years of noticing that road, I never thought about where it goes. It feels temping to just take it in the future, it doesn't look like anyone will pull any alarms over that. Though the utility is questionable for me.

Looking at that area, I just realized that Mystic River Rd. almost create another bridge (and I think this place can use another crossing - funneling everything from down route 28 and 99 in the area isn't the best way to do things).

The news of the design is depressing. Briv is right. The design will not at all knit the area with Somerville. It will server to cars while it looks like the design of Assembly Sq Station is getting the (shiny) second class treatment rather than a major entrance into the area.

In the area itself, it does seem standing in the middle of it will feels nice with an urban feeling. Like Station Landing, if you happen to be standing there or somehow live in those few blocks, it will feel nice. But all ways getting in the area is setting up to feel like crap. Even by car. At least end initial entrance if coming in via the station can be reasonably fixed by pure market forces.