By Ross Blouin

Moving forward in Union Square

After eight years of community discussion on the future of Union Square, the road to redevelopment has finally been paved with just a few more milestones to go. Earlier this month, the City of Somerville finalized its agreement with local developer US2 that is effectively moving the conversation forward.

A covenant between US2 and the city ensures that the community will benefit significantly from the redevelopment project, with an estimated $112 million in developer contributions and payments to the community and a substantial increase in real estate tax revenue totaling nearly one-half billion ($445 million) over the next 30 years. Funding for the Green Line extension, sewer and street upgrades, new open space, and more are included in the covenant, a legally binding agreement which will go in effect if the Board of Aldermen approves Union Square zoning. Once in effect, the covenant also dictates that US2 negotiate a community benefits agreement with community members with the Union Square Neighborhood Council – a group that is currently being formed.

SomerVision becomes a reality

Beginning with the SomerVision planning process in 2009 and the 20-year comprehensive plan for the city that emerged, the City of Somerville chose to work with a master developer to ensure that critical community goals were met. Without the master developer the city would likely continue to see small-scale development focused entirely on residential units with no overall plan. This smart, community driven development process was in response to the increased interest from developers who had begun buying-up property, driving-up prices and seeking to develop luxury housing – the City of Somerville acted quickly to prevent mass displacement of local residents.

US2 was selected to help advance the goals of job and tax revenue creation while preserving affordability, expanding green space, increasing sustainability, diversifying transportation options and other goals. Working with US2 as a master developer has allowed the city to negotiate these benefits around long overdue infrastructure needs and a number of other benefits deemed a priority by residents and advocates, many of whom have been involved in this process from the beginning. The next step will continue the open, transparent process as a representative neighborhood council is formed to negotiate additional benefits through an official community benefits agreement. This council will play an important role, as they will also be responsible for advising the city’s community benefits committee (to be established) on funding priorities for the neighborhood.

Diverse and exemplary benefits for the community

The community, the City of Somerville and US2 agree on prioritizing job and tax revenue creation with this plan, which will include a 2.3 million-square-foot mixed-use employment center, itself featuring 1.38 million square feet of new work spaces – five percent of which will be dedicated to arts and creative space. The result will be more than 5,000 new permanent jobs (ranging from service to professional) and more than 4,000 construction jobs. Millions in job linkages payments will also be leveraged to create additional jobs in the square and housing linkage payments will support the creation of added affordable housing. This new mix of uses will activate Union Square during both day and night, bringing significant new spending to the neighborhood.

Moving forward together

This Thursday, April 27, the Somerville Redevelopment Authority will take up the city’s purchase agreement with US2. That document, known as the Master Land Disposition Agreement has been under review by the Somerville Redevelopment Authority for the past two months. With a positive vote on that document, the next step in the puzzle is new zoning for Union Square. The Board of Aldermen is currently in-the-midst of a deliberative and thorough vetting of the city’s proposed overlay district in Union Square. A vote on that document could come in May.

Once zoning is passed, US2 will present a master plan to the community for the revitalization parcels. Those plans will need to comply with the new zoning and all agreements that US2, the city and the community have worked on. US2 will be charged with ensuring that its future plans are grounded in SomerVision and the Union Square Neighborhood Plan. Moving forward, the redevelopment process will remain an open, inclusive and public one that will eventually put shovels in the ground and make development in Union Square a reality.