Assembly Square Development

Location: Assembly Square is located along and to the west of the Mystic River bordered by Charlestown to the south and the Somerville neighborhood of Ten Hills to the North. The district's western border runs along Interstate 93.

Access: Improving access to Assembly Square via all modes of transportation is a major priority related to the redevelopment of the district. Currently, Assembly Square is directly accessible from Interstate 93 and State Route 28. It is approximately 2.5 miles from downtown Boston and is a ten-minute walk from the Orange Line MBTA station at Sullivan Square. It is also within three quarters of a mile to stops on the following bus routes: 86, 89, 90, 91, 910, 911, 92, 93, 95, 101, 104, 105, 109, 194, and CT2.

Retail Attractions: The following stores are currently open in Assembly Square: A.C. Moore, Bed Bath and Beyond, Christmas Tree Shops, K Mart, Sports Authority, Staples, TJ Maxx, and Home Depot.

History: Assembly Square, a unique neighborhood district with a land area of 145 acres, is so named after the Ford Motor assembly plant that opened in 1926 and was an important employer in the Boston Metropolitan Area, particularly during World War II. The assembly plant was one of many industrial businesses that thrived in Assembly Square during the 1900's.  Boston & Maine Railroad also owned large tracts of land in the district and many of the businesses received shipments by rail.  The land was crisscrossed by spur tracks and there were few roadways.  The Ford Motor Plant closed in 1958 and by the late 1970's, a number of other industrial businesses had closed as well.

In 1980, the City of Somerville declared the Assembly Square District to be blighted, substandard, and decadent and adopted a 20-year urban renewal plan.  The cornerstone of the urban renewal plan was the rehabilitation of the former auto assembly plant into a retail mall known as the "Assembly Square Mall".  Other development included a new Home Depot. In 1999, the internationally known Swedish home furnishings store, IKEA, purchased two former industrial sites on the Mystic River waterfront.  IKEA obtained permits for its proposed retail store; however, the permits were challenged in court by community members opposed to a "big box" use on the waterfront, with the result that redevelopment of the site was stalled for a number of years.

In 2000, the Somerville Redevelopment Authority (SRA) acquired title to a 9.3-acre former railroad parcel in Assembly Square and issued an RFP for developers.  At the same time, the City initiated an extensive public planning process, producing the "2000 Planning Study" which set out a new vision for Assembly Square as a 24-hour, mixed use district with residential, retail, office, cinema, restaurant, hotel, and recreational open space uses.  In 2002, the SRA and the City adopted a 20-year extension of the urban renewal plan with the goal of transforming Assembly Square into the lively, mixed-use district described in the 2000 Planning Study.  Assembly Square was rezoned to promote the mixed-use concept, and design guidelines and a design review committee were created provide additional assistance in helping foster the new vision.

In 2005, Federal Realty Investment Trust (FRIT), the oldest real estate investment trust in the United States with over $4 billion in assets, purchased the Assembly Square Mall along with other properties in Assembly Square. FRIT redeveloped the existing mall into the Assembly Square Marketplace which opened its doors in early 2006. Later in 2006, Mayor Curtatone aided in bringing FRIT and IKEA together to come up with a feasible redevelopment plan consistent with the new vision. FRIT and IKEA agreed to trade parcels, moving IKEA inland from its initial site and leaving the waterfront open for FRIT to create pedestrian friendly, mixed-use development.  This new plan was welcomed by those who had previously opposed the IKEA development. The land swap was executed in October 2009 solidifying the vision of the district.

In 2008, the state's Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development designated Assembly Square as one of the first sixteen "Growth District's" in the Commonwealth. This designation comes as part of the state's Growth District Initiative (GDI) aimed at making appropriate locations development ready and competitive on national and international levels for significant new commercial, residential or mixed-use growth. 

In 2009, the Assembly Row Project received a $2 million GDI grant to construct sub-surface infrastructure (water, sewer, etc.).  The project also received final approval from the City of Somerville and the Commonwealth for Infrastructure Investment Incentive (I - Cubed) bond funding in the amount of $50 million and $15 million in Federal Stimulus American Recovery & Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funding for roadway construction and off-site improvements.

In March 2010, FRIT submitted its final Environmental Impact Report for Assembly Square Mixed-Use Redevelopment to the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs.

Ongoing Development Projects in Assembly Square

Assembly Row

Project Description: Federal Realty Investment Trust (FRIT) is the principle developer in Assembly Square and is responsible for the redevelopment of 66.5 acres of former industrial land into a mixed use, transit oriented neighborhood called "Assembly Row." The project will create over 1.75 million square feet of new office space, 852,000 square feet of retail (including restaurants, a cinema, and the IKEA home furnishings store), and over 2,100 new residential units. The project is divided into several phases.

FRIT has taken the lead in applying for permits for the overall project, including the IKEA store.  In December of 2006, the Somerville Planning Board approved FRIT's Preliminary Master Plan.   The Preliminary Master Plan outlines the development scope and phasing of the project now called "Assembly on the Mystic." Revisions to the Preliminary Master Plan are currently underway and are expected to be finalized in summer 2010. The IKEA special permit, which included authorization for Assembly Square Drive, was initially approved in October 2007 with two subsequent amendments and an approved reapplication in August of 2009.

Phase 1AA: Phase 1AA of the Assembly Row project is currently underway and includes two programs; the Building Program and the Public Infrastructure Program. The Building Program involves the construction of a 340,000 gross square foot IKEA with 1,320 parking spaces, including 1,158 structured spaces and 162 surface parking spaces at the southern end of the site.

Future Phases: A mix of residential, office, and retail uses including a hotel and cinema will be included in Phases 1A, 1B, and 1C, which are expected to be built out within a ten year period. Refer to the Master Plan and the I-Cubed Economic Development Proposal in the right column for more information.

Project Cost and Funding: In late 2008, FRIT announced that underwriting changes had changed dramatically for the worse since the financial analysis that preceded permitting and design of the project. In essence, the value of the land decreased so significantly during the economic downturn that the necessary financing available for the project to continue was limited. On July 20, 2009 Governor Deval Patrick along with Senator John Kerry, Congressman Michael E. Capuano, Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone and other locally elected officials, and FRIT announced that dedicated cooperation coined as a Public Private Partnership would ensure the project's success.

All told, Assembly on the Mystic is projected to cost an estimated $1.36 billion. Of this, $73 million in public funds were identified and awarded in 2008 and 2009 from state and federal sources making this project viable in today's economy:

• State's Infrastructure Investment Initiative (I-Cubed) Bond Program  $50M
• Federal Stimulus (ARRA) Grant                                                                  $15M
• State's Growth District Initiative (GDI) Grant                                               $2M
• Congressional Multi-Modal Earmark                                                     $6.29M

Total Public Funds identified to date:                                                                   *$73M
*Does not include public funds allocated for new MBTA Orange Line

Phase 1AA Cost: The total Phase IAA Infrastructure Program construction cost including acquisition, remediation, public and private utilities and infrastructure including the offsite traffic mitigation areas is estimated at $50,500,000.  FRIT completed the acquisition, remediation, and installation of deep utilities necessary for the DOT work to commence in spring 2010, throughout 2008 and 2009.

The total Phase IAA Infrastructure Program is funded by $37 million in public funds and $13.5 million in private funds. The public funds include $20 million in I-Cubed bonds, $2 million from the state's Growth District Initiative program, and $15 million in Federal Stimulus (ARRA) funds.

For information relating to the I-Cubed bonds view the links under "I-Cubed Materials" in the column on the right of this page.

Economic Impact: This project is expected to result in an estimated $1.36 billion in construction investment in the City to include new public and private infrastructure, publically accessible open space, limitless amenities and public benefits. The project is forecasted to generate $24 million in annual municipal tax revenue and $16.7 million in annual state tax revenue (gross). It expects to generate an estimated 9,700 permanent jobs,10,300 construction jobs, while retaining 590 existing permanent jobs.

Project Schedule: Demolition of several structures along Assembly Square Drive took place in the fall of 2008. In 2009, remediation in compliance with the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MDEP) was completed where necessary and new private and some public utilities were installed along Assembly Square Drive and in the vicinity.

All state permits and approvals for the IKEA store have been obtained. The site was cleared of existing buildings and parking areas in 2008 and FRIT has constructed much of the new utility infrastructure and service connections needed to serve the IKEA store during 2009.  IKEA building plans have been submitted to the City as required for the building permit.

Assembly Square Roadway Realignment & Improvement Project

Project Description: This Massachusetts's Department of Transportation (DOT) project was originally part of FRIT's Assembly Row Phase 1AA Public Infrastructure Program.  In 2009, Assembly Square was allocated $15 million in Federal Stimulus American Recovery & Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds toward public infrastructure to support the Assembly Row build-out.  The federal allocation is dispersed through the Massachusetts's Department of Transportation (DOT) which is responsible for managing the project directly. Through a public bid process, DOT awarded Newport Construction Corporation a construction services contract in March 2010 and the project received its Notice to Proceed April 1, 2010.

The project includes the reconstruction, realignment and extension of Assembly Square Drive into a landscaped boulevard with on-street parking, bicycle lanes, and pedestrian sidewalks extending north to south from Route 28 to Mystic Avenue. Additionally, significant off-site intersection and signalization improvements are included in the scope of work to mitigate increased traffic resulting from the redevelopment. The locations of the traffic mitigation measures are as follows:

• Lombardi Street/Mystic Avenue (northbound)/Assembly Square Drive
• Lombardi Street/Broadway/Mt Vernon
• Mystic Avenue (northbound)/New Road
• Middlesex Avenue (northbound)/Foley Street
• Mystic Avenue (northbound)/I-93 (northbound) off-ramp/Route 28
• Route 28/Assembly Square Drive
• Route 28/Middlesex Avenue
• Kensington Pedestrian Crossing

The Scope of Work includes the areas identified in blue in the map below:

Project Cost and Funding: This DOT project is funded by the $15 million Federal Stimulus (ARRA) award.  In addition, FRIT is contributing up to $2,727,630 to cover "non-participating" costs such as gateway elements, certain landscaping, etc.  DOT entered into a contract with Newport Construction, Inc who bid $14.27 million, including $1.78 million in non-participating costs. This does not include DOT's standard 15% contingency.

Schedule: The construction schedule is actively being developed between the City, State, FRIT, Newport Construction Corporation, and the community.  The work is on schedule to commence spring 2010 and take approximately 18 months to complete. DOT shall provide construction updates that will be linked to the right column of this page by summer 2010.

New MBTA Orange Line Transit Station - Assembly Square

Project Description: A new MBTA Orange Line station is planned for the area between Wellington and Sullivan Square to provide regional transit access and an alternative to auto traffic for those traveling to and from Assembly Square. In January 2010, the MBTA worked cooperatively with active community constituents and included a second head house into their design.

For more information including updated plans and meeting notices visit the link under MBTA in the right hand column.  

Project Cost and Funding: The total anticipated construction cost including the installation of a second head house is $50 million dollars. The funding sources identified below include a $25 million federal earmark obtained with the assistance of Congressman Michael E. Capuano.

• Federal Transportation Earmark $25 million
• MBTA $10 million
• Private Contribution $15 million

Schedule: The initial preliminary design community meeting was held on June 29, 2009. The 30% design meeting was held January 12, 2010. The MBTA plans to hold the final design meeting in summer 2010. The project is on schedule to be bid by the close of 2010 with construction expected to be complete in 2012.