Union Square Somerville Infill and Small Developments

What's going on here? This building has looked abandoned since at least 2017

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Between these 4 buildings, my recollection is ~175 new housing units about to come online. Rentals and condos and luxury passive haus condos (I think that is Elan Sassoon’s bldg). Plus…3 new retail storefronts and a pocket park. Not bad!

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Vagabond said:
Booooooo. What a waste of an awesome public gathering/patio space. Happy they built a good looking building, but with pot shops on every corner with competing prices (13 storefronts in 4.2 square miles, vs "only" 10 Dunkin Donuts) economics says they're going to go the way of cheap liquor stores or out of business within a few years .
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I don’t follow. The whole plaza space is public. Every Saturday this space fills up with hundreds of people. So like…what’s the waste?
 
Dr. Rosen Rosen said:
I don’t follow. The whole plaza space is public. Every Saturday this space fills up with hundreds of people. So like…what’s the waste?
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Right - lots of people will be great for restaurants, sidewalk sales, pulling in retail to browse, etc. A pot shop will have fogged windows and no outdoor presence. It's a net loss, or at least and absence of activity, for a vibrant neighborhood. Basically what it looks like now - full restaurant patios to the left and right, and nothing going on in front of the store.
 
Vagabond said:
Right - lots of people will be great for restaurants, sidewalk sales, pulling in retail to browse, etc. A pot shop will have fogged windows and no outdoor presence. It's a net loss, or at least and absence of activity, for a vibrant neighborhood. Basically what it looks like now - full restaurant patios to the left and right, and nothing going on in front of the store.
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It's better than another bank.
It'll create foot traffic. There's no parking out front.
I doubt it'll have fogged glass, I think these places usually have a kind of lobby area, they'll be doing their best to increase curb appeal.
It's a huge upgrade on the liquor store or subway that was there before.
AFAIK it's owned by the same group that own the indo next door so I doubt they want another restaurant.
Definitely adds to the square in my book.
Roof top dining above the indo and getting rid of more parking spaces in that area would also be good. Maybe some grass (the mowing type)
 
Vagabond said:
Right - lots of people will be great for restaurants, sidewalk sales, pulling in retail to browse, etc. A pot shop will have fogged windows and no outdoor presence. It's a net loss, or at least and absence of activity, for a vibrant neighborhood. Basically what it looks like now - full restaurant patios to the left and right, and nothing going on in front of the store.
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I agree with Ruairi and Dr Rosen Rosen - Great overflow space for the two restaurants with outdoor patios on either side (not only that, there's also a Biergarten across the alleyway. I'd like to see more places that activate barren street scenes (hello, Financial District), not overflood already activated areas.
 
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