development Archives

Opinion: Who Plans The City—And For Whom?

“The assumption that community involvement is a barrier to housing is simply false.”

SUZANNE PRESTON BLIER July 17, 2025

Opinion: Who Owns The City?

Reclaiming civic power from outside developers

SUZANNE PRESTON BLIER July 3, 2025

Alewife Activists Give Tearful Testimonies At MBTA Board Meeting

“I am horrified by the lack of MBTA’s concern for public health in this area.” Cambridge residents decry planned heavy digging through asbestos and air out other concerns.

CHRIS FARAONE December 19, 2024

The Legendary Past And Uncertain Future Of The Harvard Square Theatre Will the iconic venue ever return to its rock roots as has been rumored? When I first discovered the Harvard Square Theatre on a lunch break from work, it felt like I had realized its potential all on my

COHAVIT GIL March 28, 2023

OPINION: WINTER HILL STAR MARKET REDEVELOPMENT HEADS TO ZONING BOARD

Over the next few months, Somerville’s Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) is going to be taking up one of its most consequential decisions in recent memory. It concerns a development project that has large numbers of people around the city excited but some immediate neighbors leery. The project in question

JAKE WILSON December 7, 2022

OPINION: SOMERVILLE MEDIA CENTER SHOULD REMAIN IN THE HEART OF UNION SQUARE

Mayor Emeritus and Former City Communications Director Call for Public Access Station to Be Allowed to Stay in City-Owned Firehouse Today, the Somerville Media Center is operating under the threat of eviction from the City of Somerville. We believe this eviction decision needs to be, immediately, reconsidered and reversed. SMC,

EUGENE C. BRUNE AND HOWARD E. HORTON November 23, 2022

Section from a photo of the Union Square South Block by Linda Pinkow

DOES UNION SQUARE NEED ANOTHER LAB BUILDING?

Developer reveals new plans to replace block of shops with commercial structure (Somerville Wire) – In the heart of Union Square, the new 450-unit apartment building and the seven-story lab building are nearing completion. Last week, the owner of a block of buildings just across Prospect Street from the new

LINDA PINKOW October 5, 2022

US2 EXPANDS ITS UNION SQUARE FOOTPRINT

Two new lab buildings being designed on McGrath Highway at Medford Street (Somerville Wire) – US2, the developer currently leading the 17-acre building project in the heart of Union Square, recently purchased another property on the edge of the square, and is proposing to build nearly a million gross square

LINDA PINKOW September 13, 2022

Somerville residents participate in 90 Washington design workshop. Photo by Molly Farrar.

CITY HOLDS DESIGN WORKSHOP TO GET INPUT ON PUBLIC SAFETY BUILDING SITE PLAN

Participants use color-coded Lego pieces to suggest housing, stores, business and nonprofit offices, labs, medical/healthcare facilities, common areas, or green spaces for 90 Washington (Somerville Wire) – The City of Somerville went beyond Zoom listening and traditional public meetings last Thursday at a Lego design workshop organized to help understand

MOLLY FARRAR August 9, 2022

Photo by Jason Pramas. Copyright 2022 Jason Pramas.

DAVIS SQUARE DEVELOPER PLANS LAB SPACE AS SMALL BUSINESSES AWAIT UNKNOWN FATE

“The Sligos of the world might become history a lot quicker than people might think” (Somerville Wire) – Scape North America, the US arm of the UK-based company of the same name that has for years planned to build in Davis Square, is set to officially propose its new project

RÓNÁN FITZGERALD July 26, 2022