City officials and outside consultants recently met to discuss the latest plans for renovation of the Gilman Square area.

By Joe Creason

On Thursday, March 10, City Councilors and members of the Office of Strategic Planning and Community Development, held a meeting to discuss the implementation of renovations for the Gilman Square area. Consultants from the Boston architecture firm NBBJ, were present to give a concurrent review of their plan and existing conditions at the Gilman Square site.

Plans for the Gilman Square Station area have been in progress since February of 2014, however, shifting circumstances have halted the plan’s execution.

“For those who are familiar with the Gilman Square Area plan, you know a lot on the ground has changed,” said Director of Planning and Zoning Sarah Lewis.

According to Lewis, many physical design aspects of the Gilman Square area have changed since the plan was adapted. The GLX station has been redesigned and its location changed, as well as plans for a new community path, a new city streetscape project, construction of the new high school and zoning changes comprised the proposed development projects which now effect the Gilman Square area.

“We’re still focused on achieving the goals of this project and needs from the neighborhood, like bringing the concept of pedestrian square back to Gilman Square,” Lewis said.

The Gilman Square Neighborhood Association, a group formed by residents and Gilman square business owners in 2018, have been working with Somerville officials to discuss development proposals and other aspects of the project’s future.

Director Lewis presented a community designed scheme from the group during the meeting, the blueprint for which put heavy emphasis on natural light for civic spaces and improved accessibility throughout the neighborhood.

Though there have been many structural changes proposed to the area around Gilman Square, the consultants from NBBJ believe that many principles from original Gilman Square project will still hold up.

Alan Mountjoy, an urban designer and architect at NBBJ, says that the firm will address the needs of the city and the community with project plan including, functional open space for desirable land uses, connectivity to schools and MBTA station as well as developer attraction and density to support amenities.

City Councilors raised the question about uses for new commercial and civic space in the renovated Gilman Square area. The Office of Strategic Planning and Community Development will conduct a massing study to survey the community about the feasibility and desirability of various land use options, before the next community meeting.