By Joseph A. Curtatone

(The opinions and views expressed in the commentaries of The Somerville Times belong solely to the authors of those commentaries and do not reflect the views or opinions of The Somerville Times, its staff or publishers)

The redevelopment of key blocks of Union Square and Boynton Yards is one of the most important and sensitive projects our city will undertake in its history. Through the community discussions that yielded our SomerVision comprehensive plan and the rezoning of Union Square, the community charged us with specific goals for the neighborhood. We have been told to create new types of development, economic growth and employment opportunities, while making the neighborhood more walkable, bikeable and easier to traverse. We have also been told to balance this revitalization by preserving what we already love about Union Square, retaining its identity, and creating more housing that has a range of affordability, using sustainable development and adding more public green space. Picking the right partner to help us achieve these goals means we have to do our homework.

At the end of May, a city delegation traveled to four cities in four days to see for ourselves what the Union Square master developer finalists have built. We went to probe more deeply into their capability to see the redevelopment of our historic neighborhood through—from community engagement, to shovels in the ground, to a thriving extension of the current square. We wanted to see for ourselves if they can create a true mixed-use neighborhood that seamlessly blends with the great assets we already have in Union Square. Representatives of the Union Square Civic Advisory Committee, Somerville Redevelopment Authority and Board of Aldermen, along with city officials and I went to Maryland, Chicago, Portland and San Jose to see redevelopment projects completed by Federal Realty, Magellan/US2 and Gerding Edlen. And this past week, we toured projects in Boston completed by The Abbey Group.

What did we learn? All four finalists have demonstrated the ability to undertake complex projects and see them through to completion, mixing office, retail and residential while expanding green space, incorporating sustainability and, where applicable, retaining the historical features and local businesses already present. Overviews of our visits can be read on the Somerville By Design blog at www.somervillebydesign.com and the entire report can be downloaded at http://www.somervillema.gov/alerts/union-square-due-diligence-report.

Each developer has particular strengths that would apply to what we want to see in Union Square and their projects each have elements that would be attractive in Union Square, but those projects are not necessarily analogous to Union Square, which is its own unique neighborhood, with its own character, history and assets. That’s why our homework continues.

We are continuing to ask questions and working with the Civic Advisory Committee to ensure that the community’s input weighs upon any decision made by the Redevelopment Authority, which next meets on Tuesday, June 26. We are working on developing a web presence for the committee that would include a meeting schedule, the ability for the public to submit questions to pose to a developer and expanded opportunities for the community to make its thoughts and ideas heard.

And once the Redevelopment Authority selects a master developer, the city and developer will need to reach land disposition agreements, which will contain standards and conditions for Union Square’s redevelopment that would significantly shape what kind of development we achieve in the neighborhood. The Civic Advisory Committee will continue to play a critical role in shaping those agreements, and will continue to act as a sounding board for the master developer, shaping proposals then brought forward for public review. Having this community dialogue with the developer will help our community stay true to our vision—ensuring that we preserve the continuity of Union Square’s character and history, while achieving the community’s shared goals.

At every step we’ve taken over the years to shape Union Square’s future, the community has guided and informed the process. From the rezoning in 2009 to codifying the community’s shared values in SomerVision, the community has done important work in shaping our vision for this neighborhood, and will continue to do so through the Civic Advisory Committee, giving us the input we need to achieve our collective goals. The Request for Qualifications issued by the Redevelopment Authority specifically states that we expect continued, meaningful community involvement. There will be robust public processes every step of the way during this redevelopment. Show up, ask questions and give us your input. Together, we can manage the change that is coming to Union Square and our city, preserve what we love about it and achieve the collective goals that we envision.