Latest Assembly Square ruling: “Major victory” or “meaningless?”
By George P. Hassett

A judge’s ruling on Assembly Square development is being hailed as “a
major victory” by Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone and “meaningless” by a
member of the Mystic View Task Force (MVTF).
    Lawrence Paolella, a member of the grassroots group that initiated
the lawsuit against the city, said the ruling does little to change the
facts of the case and its possible outcome.

   ‚ÄúIt‚Äôs meaningless. {The mayor and his staff} are organizing a pr campaign to convince the aldermen that everything is fine. But if everything is fine, why has the court forced them to pass a new zoning code?‚Äù
    In a July 11 decision, Judge Alexander Sands III noted that his March 7 ruling against the city applied only to the zoning of the mall and that all other aspects were valid and development at the 145-acre site could continue. It was believed by some that Sands‚Äô March 7 ruling jeopardized the entire development. But, according to Curtatone, it applied only to the mall.
    ‚ÄúThis decision validates our vision for a mixed-use, transit-oriented urban village on the Mystic riverfront,‚Äù he said in a statement. ‚ÄúIt also provides a clear roadmap for re-permitting the existing mall, and allows Federal Realty and IKEA to conclude their land swap agreement allowing better public access to the waterfront and more housing and office space in close proximity to the planned Orange Line station.‚Äù
    City Solicitor John Gannon downplayed Sands‚Äô March decision while emphasizing that the only changes to be made in the zoning concern the mall.
    ‚ÄúWe always said this was a fine print issue and that Judge Sands never meant to invalidate the entire zoning,‚Äù Gannon said. ‚ÄúNow the judge has said exactly that, and supported the city‚Äôs overall approach. The only remaining question is whether we want to make any further small-scale adjustments in the zoning in order to address the uniformity concern. Whatever course we ultimately follow on that issue, the situation is much clearer, simpler and more straightforward with this opinion. We‚Äôre very pleased.‚Äù