Tag Archives: development

Community Meeting on 181 Washington Street

Posted on March 8, 2012 by unionsquaremain| Leave a comment

The Somerville Community Corporation has finalized the purchase of the former Boys and Girls Club at 181 Washington Street.  The organization is now moving forward with planning of 45 affordable rental units in a five story building with commercial/retail on the street level.

Low to moderate income families  (making up to $57,780 a year for a family of four) will be eligible for tenancy.

Alderman Thomas F. Taylor and the Somerville Community Corporation are planning a community meeting on Monday, March 12, at 7 PM in the Aldermanic Chambers at City Hall, 93 Highland Avenue to show preliminary design options and to hear from the community.

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Posted in -Blog Posts, Placemaking

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Somerville Seeks to Lift Limited on Alcohol Permits

Posted on November 22, 2011 by unionsquaremain| Leave a comment

A while back USMS wrote about the role that liquor licenses play in the success of a vibrant restaurant and in the revitalizing of neighborhoods like Union Square.

The City of Somerville has appealed to the state with a home rule petition, allowing Somerville, like Cambridge and Boston, to be exempt from a state law that ties the number of licenses to city population.

Commonwealth Magazine recently published an article on the issue.

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Community Meeting on 181 Washington Street

Posted on November 2, 2011 by unionsquaremain| Leave a comment

The Somerville Community Corporation is planning to purchase the former site of the Somerville Boys and Girls Club at 181 Washington Street. Their hope is to demolish the current structure and create 40+ units of affordable rental housing with commercial units on the first floor. This would be the second  proposal to come forward in the neighborhood making use of the new zoning code focused on denser, transit oriented development.

SCC is hosting a second community meeting on Monday, November 7 at 7 pm at 181 Washington Street to hear neighborhood feedback on the plan and to discuss their planning to date.

SCC reports that these rental units will target low to moderate income families, with income limits of up to $57,780 a year for a family of four.

 

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Growing Local Businesses

Posted on June 27, 2011 by unionsquaremain| Leave a comment

Restaurants are blooming in Union Square.

Casa B, the new Latin fusion restaurant in the center of Union Square, is expected to begin construction this week in the hopes of an opening this September.

Ebi Sushi, just across Somerville Avenue from the Plaza, is serving up Japanese food and getting lots of rave reviews from local patrons. At the moment of this post they’re earning 4 1/2 stars out of 5 on Yelp.

Journeyman is still smarting from the assault by that SUV on their facade but aren’t letting that keep them down.  They’re planning an expansion.  In the back part of their space on Sanborn Court they’re creating a lounge.  Journeyman owners Tse Wei, Diana and Meg report, “We’re planning a bar that takes some of the best of Journeyman (an out-of-the-way location, a focus on artful combinations of ingredients, and a leisurely pace) and marries it with some of the things we’ve heard people ask for (an extended drink menu of classic & creative cocktails, an a la carte food menu that focuses on some favorite foods from the restaurant, and a lower-key space).”

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Posted in -Blog Posts, Specialty Markets, Restaurants, Food Related

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Meetings on Greenline Station Design in June

Posted on May 25, 2011 by unionsquaremain| 1 Comment

MassDOT and the MBTA are hosting a series of Station Design Workshops in June. These workshops are an opportunity to participate in the design of the future Green Line Extension stations in a hands-on, interactive way.

The two meetings Union Square folks would be most interested in are:

Union Square Station: June 22nd, 6:00- 8:00 pm, at the Cummings Elementary School, 42 Prescott Street, Somerville.

Washington Street Station: June 23rd, 6:00 -8:00 pm, at the Holiday Inn, 30 Washington Street (note new location)

Each of the planned Green Line stations present their own unique challenges and opportunities.  For example in Union Square, how will the station under the Prospect Street bridge connect riders with bus transit?  what will be the means of access for pedestrians that connect the station to the commercial core?  Over on Washington Street, accommodating the commuter rail, Green Line and Community Path on the bridge is going to be tricky.  What design options would provide a welcoming space for riders using all different modes to get to the station?

For language or access accommodations, contact Beverley Johnson at (617) 296-7003 or bjohnson@bevcoassociates.comcastbiz.net at least one week before the event.

The next meeting of the Green Line Extension Design Working Group will take place on Thursday, May 26th from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm at 51 Winthrop St. in Medford. Accessible parking is available next to the building.

Our friends at Somerville Transportation Equity Partnershipg have info about other meetings on all the stations.

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Posted in -Blog Posts, Greenline

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