90 Washington Street RFP | City of Somerville

90 Washington Street - Request for Proposals for Redevelopment

The City of Somerville and the Somerville Redevelopment Authority (SRA) are currently undertaking a Request for Proposals (RFP) process to select a development team capable of delivering a transformative, mixed-use development project at 90 Washington Street. This is a nearly four-acre, transit-served site at the intersection of the Union Square, Brickbottom, and East Somerville neighborhoods and steps away from the East Somerville MBTA Green Line Station.

Through community engagement and consultation with the City Council, the City and SRA have established the following development objectives for the site:

Financial Return: Recoup a significant portion of the funds spent on the initial acquisition of 90 Washington Street through the sale of the property.
Mixed-use Program: Achieve a combination of new housing (affordable to a range of incomes), ground-floor commercial activation (particularly retail, food and beverage, grocery, and personal services), publicly accessible green space, and spaces for community organizations.
Dense, Transit-Oriented Development: Deliver a dense, transit-oriented project that prioritizes urban design principles and respects the surrounding neighborhood fabric while also encouraging diversity, equity, and inclusion throughout the development process.

The period to submit responses to the RFP has now closed. To view a copy of the RFP, please find a copy here.

The SRA received two proposals in response to the RFP, from Wood Partners and North River Leerink Manager LLC. Staff reviewed the original technical proposals with the SRA Board, the 90 Washington Street Civic Advisory Committee (CAC), and the City Council and conveyed this feedback to the respondents, who were able to update proposals during a Best and Final Offer (BAFO) period. At the end of this period, Wood Partners provided a final updated proposal and North River Leerink Manager LLC decided to withdraw their application.

To view the original and updated technical elements of the proposal, see the links below. (Note that each proposal also contains a financial element that is not made public.)

Wood Partners’ Original Proposal, Interview Presentation, and Updated Post-BAFO Proposal
North River Leerink Manager LLC’s Original Proposal and Interview Presentation (the applicant withdrew at the end of the BAFO period).

Staff are now bringing the final proposal from Wood Partners through final review with the CAC, Council, and SRA prior to the SRA making a decision on July 13th. The full schedule for reviewing proposals is included below.

If you have any questions about the RFP process, please reach out to sra@somervillema.gov.

Proposal review process

Date	Step/Party ( CAC, City Council, SRA, Internal City )
April 10th	Proposals due.
April 13th-17th	The City’s real estate consultant reviews proposals for completeness and prepares initial summary memo.
April 22nd	CAC meeting to review proposals. Click here for more information about the April 22nd meeting
April 23rd	City Council session to reorient Councilors to the review process.
April 28th	CAC interviews with respondents. Click here for more information about he April 28th meeting
May 5th	CAC meeting to finalize recommendations to the City Council / SRA. Click here for meeting details about the May 5th meeting
May 6th	SRA regular meeting (project check-in). Click here for meeting details about the May 6th meeting
May 11th	City Council executive session to review proposals and make recommendations regarding two finalists. Click here for more information about the May 11th meeting.
May 19th	SRA meeting and executive session to review City Council recommendations and give instructions for the Best and Final Offer (BAFO) period.
May 20th-June 29th	BAFO period.
July 1st	SRA meeting and executive session to review updated proposals post-BAFO period.
July 7th	CAC meeting to review updated proposals post-BAFO period.
July 9th	City Council meeting and executive session to review updated proposals post-BAFO period.
July 13th	SRA meeting and executive session to select finalist.

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