NE WIRE Presentation, January 2009

1. City of Somerville
Transit &
Transformation
Joseph A. Curtatone, Mayor
New England Women In Real Estate
January 2009

2. How Did it Happen in Somerville?
Transit Built Somerville
• Built as a cable car suburb of Boston
• Primarily two and three family dwellings
• Built out by the early 1900s
West Somerville Street Car
• Today, the most densely populated cities
in New England (nearly 78,000 in 4.1
Square Miles) 5th densest in the nation!
• Diverse population with mix of incomes
Davis Square (1910)

3. Transportation Gateway to the North Shore
Rail and Roads
• Boston & Lowell
• Boston & Fitchburg
• Boston & Maine
• Route 28
Railroads Crossed the City
• I-93
• BET
Help and Hinder
• Easy access to Boston and Logan
Airport
• Divide the community
McGrath Highway
• No commuter rail access

4. Recapturing Our Transit Legacy
Elected Officials
• Congressman Capuano advocated for Green
Line Extension and $25M earmark for new
Orange Line Station in Assembly Square
Transit Agencies
• Moving forward on environmental review
Mayor Curtatone with Congressman
and design Capuano
Private Corporations
• Federal Realty Investment Trust and IKEA
jointly committed $15M towards new Orange
Line T-Station
Community Members
• STEP and CLF participate on Green Line
Public Advisory Commission and work to
promote transit in Somerville

5. The Vision for Transit
• 85% of Somerville will
be within ½ mile of
transit
• Reconnect
Neighborhoods
• Access for Residents to
Job Centers
• Catalyst for Sustainable
Land Transformation

6. Red Line & Davis Square
• Red Line Station in center of square
• Regional destination for living, dining,
shopping
• Within walking distance to two universities
• Somerville Community Bike Path
• In 1997, Davis Square was listed by the Utne Community Path at Davis Square
Reader as one of the fifteen quot;hippest places to
livequot; in the United States
• Significant private investment
• Hotel RFP underway
• New 3 story retail-office building
• 66,000 sf. office building sold for nearly $20M
• Loft units selling for up to $1M
Davis Square by Night

7. Davis Square Loves Transit

8. Orange Line & Federal Realty Investment Trust
New Orange Line Station leverages
• 2,100 Residential Units
• 1.75 M Square Feet of Office
• 1.07 M Square Feet of Retail

9. Somerville in Action
Assembly Square
• City purchased key properties in the
district to assist with parcel assemblage,
has ability to use eminent domain if needed
• Community recognized need for Future Main Street in Assembly
Square
increased development to bring new
tax revenue to the City
• Developer has worked actively
with community groups and agreed
to significant mitigation including
financial contribution to future T-
Stop
Future Mystic River Park / Esplanade

10. Green Line & Inner Belt/Brickbottom - 117 acres
CBT/Greenberg Scoping Study
• 3 M Square Feet of Office
• 2.5 M Square Feet of Lab
• 200,000 Square Feet of Retail
• 3,000 Residential Units
• Public Open Space / Community
Path
• T Maintenance facility to enhance
development, not limit it
7 to 10+ M Square Feet
Development Opportunity

11. Somerville in Action
Strengthen Public Realm
Increase Connectivity
Create Roadway Network /
Address Infrastructure Needs

12. Green Line & Union Square – 45+ acres
Rezoning to support
Transit Oriented Development
• Provide greater certainty
• Promote sustainable development
• Balanced approach to circulation

13. Somerville in Action
Union Square Rezoning
• Green building incentives
• Reduced parking requirements
• Increased height and FAR Rendering of the future Union
Square
• Design Guidelines
• Pedestrian Oriented Uses
• Streamlined approach to permitting
Festival in Union Square

14. Urban Ring & East Somerville
Bus Rapid Transit System
• Improved infrastructure
• Assembly Square Underpass at I-93
• Inner Belt Overpass to Northpoint
• One seat ride to Logan Airport, Kendall
Square and Longwood Medical District
• Connections to UMass-Boston, Boston
Medical Center and Port

15. Somerville: Transit & Transformation
Wholesale
Transformation
Substantial
Redevelopment
Strategic Investment
Residential
Preservation
Special thanks to our graphics providers: FRIT, CBT/Greenberg, EOT, Reconnecting America, and the Community
Design Resource Center