Assembly Square Infill and Small Developments | Somerville

Wow, how did I miss this project. Looks fantastic! I really like the actual brick being used.

When the heck did the MBTA add an Assembly Square stop? Or is it new for this project?
 
Brick looks excellent.

I hate to already complain, but I don't like how the Partners building lies athwart the path of the street there... Would have preferred two separate buildings. BUT it's a nice lookin building and overall this whole area has enormous potential.
 
Wow I didnt realize this was going to be THAT tall. Assembly and the casino are going to be a cool little nook skyline in this pocket of the city.
 
That park is deeply neglected.

Wow assembly row is a really, really good development for Somerville and for the GBA
 
CSTH said:
That park is deeply neglected.

Wow assembly row is a really, really good development for Somerville and for the GBA
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The park will become a soccer field probably next spring.
 
It was basically destroyed by the massive snow banks deposited there over the past few winters
 
hockey92 said:
It was basically destroyed by the massive snow banks deposited there over the past few winters
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The real problem with that "park" is access:
- It is on the "wrong side of the [Orange Line] Tracks
- It is a dead end (no reason to just happen by by road, bike, or walk
- The only access is in the pinch at the river's edge by/past the boat yard
- it has no amenities (that I remember)
- it has no other enlivening anything

Until it is easier to get to from the T or from downstream, and until there's a bathroom or at least drinking water, it is actually kind of creepy to be there.
 
^It's a perfect spot for the Revs stadium imo.

The Revs stadium could also be used for youth sports and events.

Or they could just sell it off to a developer and make a small portion of it parkland.
 
tysmith95 said:
^It's a perfect spot for the Revs stadium imo.

The Revs stadium could also be used for youth sports and events.

Or they could just sell it off to a developer and make a small portion of it parkland.
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TySmith -- Massachusetts is kinda opposed to selling pieces of its parks*1 -- there are plenty of other state owned properties available for development

*1 Note that there have been some egregious exceptions -- most notably involving the Arboretum -- but even there it was for state business
 
tysmith95 said:
^It's a perfect spot for the Revs stadium imo.

The Revs stadium could also be used for youth sports and events.

Or they could just sell it off to a developer and make a small portion of it parkland.
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That park ("Draw 7 Park") isn't even close to big enough to hold a Revs stadium. Plus the access is terrible. It's perfectly located to become a nice riverfront park and sports field; all it needs is a little TLC and clarified ownership/management.

At present, the park is subject to something of a turf war between DCR and Somerville, which both control it to some degree. Somerville is trying to "negotiate with DCR for greater city access" to the park, as, for example, DCR does not currently allow the City to issue permits for its use.
 
BeeLine said:
https://flic.kr/p/NRvS9j
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Re: access to the other side of the CR tracks to the park - there's a small bump-out at the Orange Line head house mezzanine level that roughly lines up with the walkway that bridges over the southbound Orange Line tracks and Great River Road that runs parallel. Do we know if that designed as future-proofing to at some point add a walkway to cross over northbound Orange Line and CR tracks? Is it at a height that would clear CR tracks (with clearance for overhead catenary for future-proofing)?
 
I am slightly confused. Specifically, why on earth did this happen before North Point? I sort of understand the politics of the area (yeah that's a joke), but for instance, a new Lechmere station is years away while Assembly got built. Can someone explain to me why similar acreage of land on similar ROW's happened in such different fashions? I came in to the city today on the Fitchburg line and all I could see was cranes at Assembly and piles of dirt at North Point. To put a fine point on it, Assembly is behind a blighted sudo mall, and seems to be flourishing, while North Point....ummmm
 
Cortes said:
I am slightly confused. Specifically, why on earth did this happen before North Point? I sort of understand the politics of the area (yeah that's a joke), but for instance, a new Lechmere station is years away while Assembly got built. Can someone explain to me why similar acreage of land on similar ROW's happened in such different fashions? I came in to the city today on the Fitchburg line and all I could see was cranes at Assembly and piles of dirt at North Point. To put a fine point on it, Assembly is behind a blighted sudo mall, and seems to be flourishing, while North Point....ummmm
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Cortes -- the overall thing is mired in local political maneuvering and some economic issues with the developers

On the T-side the answer is simple -- It cost a whole lot less and was far less complex programatically to introduce an in-fill station at Assembly the Orange Line than to build the new Lechmere that is embedded in the overall GLX. You should compare Assembly to the New Balance's CR infill station.
 
whighlander said:
You should compare Assembly to the New Balance's CR infill station.
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I agree. At the same time, Community College station is already there. North Point (or whatever you want to call "that") could of done the same as the developers at Assembly or NB and kicked in. I understand that they want the GLX and are "sort of" committed to helping that out, but gosh.

Anyway, I don't want to derail the thread.
 
Lechmere Station rebuild is not holding up North Point in any way. They have the location and right-of-way allocated.

North Point stalled out when the original development partnership collapsed. The sell off and eventual restart of development was probably set back a decade by the failed partnership. Nothing magical about the partnership failure, just something that can happen in business.
 
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