Assembly Row renderings, image provided
Federal Realty has already expressed their long-term plans to turn their Assembly Row project into Somerville’s next full-fledged neighborhood. Now, the city is showing interest in expanding the project and doubling the size of Assembly Row, by building up 73 more acres in the area.
The Boston Globe reported Tuesday that Somerville officials are looking into building homes, stores and offices along the currently underdeveloped stretch of Assembly Square that runs parallel to I-93. This area is not currently owned by Assembly Row, which owns a total of 66 acres in Assembly Square; it’s not yet decided if they’ll obtain more of the land if developments are to continue.
The proposed project would fill in the area that surrounds the existing Assembly Square Marketplace – the strip made up of TJ Maxx, Home Goods, Bed, Bath and Beyond, and more, which is owned by Federal Realty – and runs down Mystic Avenue between I-93 and the existing Assembly Row development. Currently, Home Depot and a few office spaces occupy the area.
City officials told the Globe that if construction does go through, the planned outcome would resemble the dense multi-use development that Assembly Row is currently building towards: a model that builds retail and restaurants on the ground level, and office space and apartments up from there. On Monday, ground broke for the new Partners HealthCare headquarters, a 750,000 square foot development that amasses most of phase two of Federal Realty’s Assembly Row development. When completed, Partners HealthCare will house 4,500 employees, and retail and restaurant space will fill in the ground level, below the office building.
Related: How a New Somerville Neighborhood is Being Built from the Ground Up
The effort to build up the rest of the Assembly Square area that doesn’t fall under Federal Realty’s jurisdiction represents the city of Somerville’s, and Mayor Curtatone’s, long-term efforts to improve the stretch of land between the interstate and the Mystic River. Home and building construction would also require road and utility upgrades, and the mayor has also requested to invest $500,000 in hiring consultants to plan the area’s development over the next year. The construction, in full, could continue for the next 20 years, city officials told the Globe.
These long-term efforts are what Mayor Curtatone believes set Somerville apart. In a previous interview with BostInno regarding Assembly Row, he said:
“We’ve shown that if we invest as a community in our values, and we plan and envision that future together, we can make it happen. It’s exciting to see that come to fruition – the return is greater than if we tired to sell short. We’ve played the long game in a very thoughtful manner.”
