by Amatulla Zakir

Mayor Joseph. A Curtatone cut the ribbon with the president of Urbanica Inc., a development company, Aug. 5 to signal the start of the renovation at the Union Square Police Station at 50 Bow St.

“I have 20 years of design, construction and development experience,” said Kamran Zahedi, the Urbanica head. “I did the mix-used development Demeter on the Park, the 54 room Harborside Inn and the 57 East Concord St. Loft building, and I’m very anxious to get started on this project.”

“Last August, I was selected to work on the team. I had to get permits etc rolling and I began to ask around – I met several aldermen, and eventually met Alderman Joe Curtatone,” said Thomas O’Malley, a consultant to the project, who described his initial involvement with the mayor.

“He asked me many questions – if we were financially capable, if we had the experience to handle a complex and historic project like this, if we had the commitment to a complex and historic project like this” O’Malley said.

“I heard all these things about dealing with paperwork and bureaucracy in Somerville but I found the process completely acceptable. Along the way Alderman Joe Curtatone was recognized for his leadership by the city – and is mayor today” he said.

O’Malley, who was the master of ceremonies for the ceremony, introduced the president of Urbanica as the visionary behind all Urbanica’s projects. ““Urbanica, doesn’t work without vision. The man who drives down the street and sees a building – the visionary behind all Urbanica projects is Kamran Zahedi.”

“This project will spark and trigger economic vitality in Union Square,” the mayor said.

“Our goal is really to make this hidden gem shine. I really want to get a shovel in the ground and to get this project going,” he said.

“This restoration is beneficial to the city on a variety of different levels,” the mayor said. “It is consistent with the city’s vision of the revitalization of Union Square, it increases the housing and affordable housing stock, and it is a prime example of the positive reuse of a historic structure.”

“This Square has a lot of history and it is closer to downtown Boston than any other place in Somerville. I would love to capitalize on that, and on that strategic benefit, the great location,” said Curtatone.

The project at 50 Bow St. was just the beginning of the revitalization of Union Square, said James Kostaras, the executive director of the city’s department of housing and community development.

“It is a great first step – it reflects the way we’re going to do business in Somerville. After the reorganization in the mayor’s office, we have a new office – of Strategic Planning,” Kostaras, who worked for O’Malley at the Boston Redevelopment Authority, said.

This project encapsulates the way we plan to do business. It is the first step in the economic redevelopment of Union Square,” he said.

Under Urbanica’s plan, the building’s interior will be renovated, and its historic fourth floor original mansard roof will be restored. The completed building will include 14 condominium units, two of which will be designated affordable housing, a handicap-accessible elevator and 12 on-site parking spaces, the mayor said.

“Alderman Heuston and Alderman Taylor worked tirelessly with community members to determine the most beneficial use for this property,” Curtatone said.

“They deserve special recognition for their diligence in finding a truly advantageous outcome for one of the city’s valued buildings,” he said.