Politics & Government

Somerville To Hold Public Forum About Future Of Washington Street Property

Residents will be given the opportunity to review early plans for the nearly four-acre site near East Somerville.

SOMERVILLE, MA — Residents will get an early chance to review and comment on proposals to redevelop the property at 90 Washington St., a nearly four-acre site near the East Somerville MBTA Green Line station. The public meeting of the 90 Washington Street Civic Advisory Committee is scheduled to take place virtually on Wednesday, April 22, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Committee members will review the recently received proposals and take feedback from the public.

The city said the meeting follows the April 10 deadline for proposals and marks the start of a public review process for one of Somerville’s largest redevelopment sites. Proposals are expected to be available for public review on Friday, April 17 online.

“Decisions like this shape the future of our city for decades,” Mayor Jake Wilson said. “I’ll be there, and I hope residents will join me. Come take a look at what’s being proposed, ask questions, and tell us what matters to you. The more we hear from the community now, the better this project will be.”

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The 90 Washington Street Request for Proposal seeks a mixed-use project with new housing, active ground-floor spaces and publicly accessible open space. The city also said the project is intended to help recoup its approximately $39 million public investment in the site.

The redevelopment proposals will be reviewed by the Somerville Redevelopment Authority, the City Council and the 90 Washington Street Civic Advisory Committee, according to the city. A development partner is expected to be selected in July.

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The advisory committee is a city-convened group made up of residents, local employees and neighborhood stakeholders. It was reportedly created to provide structured community input throughout planning and redevelopment for the site, and the same committee model is used on other projects involving the Somerville Redevelopment Authority.

The April 22 session is being framed as an early opportunity for residents to learn about the submitted concepts, ask questions and weigh in before the review process moves further. Community members who want to follow the project can review the proposals when they are posted ahead of the meeting and then join the Zoom webinar to share feedback as the city, advisory committee and other reviewing bodies consider next steps.

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