CITY ENDS NEGOTIATIONS WITH TUFTS ON POWDER HOUSE SCHOOL REDEVELOPMENT

The

City and Tufts have been in an exclusive negotiating agreement period, during

which they have discussed specifics of a land disposition agreement. During

that time, Tufts has also held a series of community meetings on the design for

a proposed new administrative/academic building and open space on the site of

the current school. To develop the site, the land disposition agreement would

need to address a number of issues, including the timeline for breaking ground

on the development, set at three years in the City's original Request

for Proposals (RFP). At a recent meeting with City officials, Tufts

indicated that they could not commit to a timeline and did not foresee

developing the property for at least 15 years.

Because this timeframe does not meet the terms set forth in

the RFP, which was developed to reflect the wishes of the community, the Mayor has

ended the exclusive negotiating agreement with Tufts. The City will retain the

university's $10,000 deposit, which will be marked for improvements in the

neighborhood around the school.

"Tufts

University has been a terrific partner for the City of Somerville in the past,

and will continue to be a great partner for us, especially in the realm of

education," said Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone. "Unfortunately, while Tufts was

successful at engaging the community in designing a building and a park, they

could not commit to a timetable that meets the terms of the agreement as well

as the community's desires, hopes and expectations for the site.  I look forward to continuing to partner with

this tremendous resource in our community, while finding the right partner to

help us achieve the community's vision for the Powder House School."

With the termination of the exclusive negotiating agreement

with Tufts, Mayor Curtatone will reconvene the Technical Advisory Committee

with the intention of revisiting the committee's recommendations and

determining next steps for redevelopment of the Powder House School. Two

alternate proposals by Davis

Square Partners and Diamond

Sinacori were also recommended alongside Tufts' proposal for final consideration

by the Mayor.

If the first alternate bidder, Davis Square Partners, is determined

to still be eligible, prepared and willing to move forward, the process to

negotiate the terms of their proposal will commence. Their proposed project,

which was also highly rated by the Advisory Committee, includes thirty to forty

units of family-sized housing, with significant publicly accessible open space.

If selected, a community design planning process will be held. Next week, a

community meeting originally planned to continue discussions of the Tufts

proposal will now instead offer the community an opportunity to discuss this

news as well as next steps. The meeting will be held on Wednesday, March 26, at

6:30 p.m., at the TAB Building, 169 Holland St.

In

August 2013, Mayor Curtatone accepted the recommendations

of the Powder House Community School Technical Advisory Committee, which

ranked Tufts' proposal as the top recommendation for redevelopment of the

former school with more than 80 percent group favorability. That recommendation

was based upon Tufts' proposal to combine the Powder House School and Tufts

Administration Building into a larger site, and creating the largest contiguous

publicly accessible open space of the proposals submitted.

"We truly appreciate the professionalism and

collaboration shown by Mayor Curtatone, his team, the Technical Advisory

Committee, members of the Board of Aldermen and Somerville residents who

devoted extensive time and attention to reviewing our proposal," said Mary

Jeka, Tufts Senior Vice President for University Relations.  "Tufts remains committed to working

closely with the City of Somerville in the future."

The

15-member Technical Advisory Committee includes seven residents, one business

representative, three City staff members, at-large Aldermen Dennis Sullivan and

Jack Connolly, former School Committee member and current at-large Alderman

Mary Jo Rossetti, and former Ward 7 Alderman Robert Trane. The Mayor and City

officials convened the Technical Advisory Committee in May 2013 to review

responses to the City's RFP seeking partners to reuse and/or redevelop the

site.

The

RFP sought proposals that would meet the objectives of the neighborhood

developed through a two-year public process. Additional criteria included the

experience of the development team in developing the project and leading a

community design process, the long-term economic impact of the proposal, as

well as the price offered for the property. According to RFP criteria, the

pedestrian route from Broadway to Holland Street must be preserved, enhanced,

and maintained by the community partner. The vote of the Board of Aldermen to

surplus the land also requires that a minimum of 40 percent of the site must

remain public open space.