Union Square

The City of Somerville is planning another action packed season of SomerStreets events across our fine municipality.  They’re putting the call out to performers and craft vendors to join in the festivities. SomerStreets ends its season on Somerv…

Announcement The Somerville State Legislative Delegation and Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone will host an upcoming public information meeting about the McCarthy Overpass repair project. The meeting will cover detailed information about construction plans and…

Greater Union Square’s own Templeman Automation has launched a new Playsurface multi-touch table Kickstarter. Playsurface is an inexpensive projection touch table that allows multiple users to interact intuitively with displayed graphics and act…

Announcement from the MassDOT: On Tuesday, May 22, 2012, the Green Line Extension Project Team will hold a public meeting to review the latest design plans for Retaining Walls and Noise Walls along the corridor. As has been presented the construction…

Last autumn’s Bulb Blitz brought out lots of volunteer energy as teams planted the annuals in parks across the city. Over at Perry Park, the residents are making the care of the park a year round effort.  Jennifer Kimball and … Continue re…

Special to Union Square Main Streets by Alex Reisman The Union Square Farmers Market opens on June 2, which is (hooray!) fast approaching, to be followed on June 14 with the new Swirl and Slice, a specialty food market. This is … Continue readin…

The take-charge creative and community oriented folks are Union Square take their talents to the streets in myriad ways. Back when the Somerville Avenue reconstruction was wrapping up, one artist, Kathe Gregory, decorated the barren median with colorfu…

  Sunday, May 13th, 2:00-3:30PM. Historic Somerville Inc. is offering a talk about “The Menace of the Triple Decker.” Dr. Stuart Brorson will discuss the five different architectural features of the 3D and the era that this style represents. …

Agenda includes the acquisition of 258 Somerville Ave., the status of Assembly Square and Union Square, and the creation of a web page for the SRA.

 From the Somerville Arts Council’s Nibble Blog Nibble scribe Raleigh Strott chats with Alberto Cabré, co-owner and head chef of Casa B, about dessert, produce and the intersection of architecture and culinary arts. Photos by Rachel Blumenthal….

Boston Magazine dishes on the work of graffiti artists and shares the story behind the wall decor at Union Square’s Backbar.  

The City of Somerville’s Resistat is a program that brings out to the residents the information collected on the work of various city departments. It’s a chance to give feedback on what’s working and what could use some help and ̷…

The Somerville Chamber of Commerce hosts a monthly networking event. The May gathering is bigger than usual as it includes their annual Green Business trade gathering.   Business After Hours at the B2Green Expo & Networking event 4:00 – 7:00…

Come celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Puebla, Saturday, May 5th, 2012 from 3pm – 9pm on the Union Square Plaza. Presented by Cantina La Mexicana and The Independent, come by for  music, food, drink and activities for kids. ̷…

Remember the advertising  tagline, “Two great tastes that taste great together?”  We’re not sure if they taste great together – all we know is that bacon is awesome and good stuff should be shared. In conjunction with Boston B…

Environmental mediation in a densely populated city like Somerville is important for public health.

Agenda includes Magoun Square, Union Square, and the Somerville Comprehensive Plan.

Agenda includes Magoun Square, Union Square, Somerville Avenue, planned bridge repairs by Mass DOT, and the Comprehensive Plan.

The McGrath overpass cuts Somerville in pieces. A boulevard would work better with the new Green Line T-Stop at Union Square.

Agenda includes zoning changes to set minimum pervious area requirements and to modify zoning maps for Somerville Ave. from WIlson Square to Porter Square, White St., and Elm St.

Public participation in station designs is essential to making them work with the neighborhoods.

Monday 12/5 is the Ward 2 ResiStat meeting.
Union Square, Brickbottom, Perry Park, Lincoln Park, Somerville Ave. corridor

Mayor Curtatone and Alderman Heuston invite you to a community meeting to discuss the latest city…

Agenda includes the acquisition of 258 Somerville Ave. and updates on Assembly Square and Union Square. Note: the Somerville Redevelopment Authority does not have a web page.

Although there appears to be  a lot of neighborly opposition to SCC’s 181 Washington Street proposed development at this time, the Boston Society of Architects is calling it an “active project.” Below, information about the…

On Thursday, 6 pm, November 3rd, at the VNA, 259 Lowell St., the Board of Aldermen’s Public Safety Committee will discuss the Administration’s disinclination to implement a promised Bicycle Safety Campaign for the city’s cyclists…

This hearing is preceded at 6:00 by a Shovel Ready Rally and Mock Groundbreaking in front of Somerville High School to protest Green Line delays. It is essential that the Green Line Extension be carried out on time with responsible attention to environmental impacts.

The Maintenance Facility is currently located at Option L, as far as possible from Brickbottom. This is a good opportunity to weigh in on this design.

The Boston MPO is a Federally-mandated organization responsible for conducting transportation planning for the Boston region. Among other documents, it produces a yearly Transportation Improvement Plan (TIP), which allocates funding for transportation improvements. A project must be included in the TIP to receive Federal funds. The Green Line Extension has been omitted from the 2012-2015 TIP. As a result, Massachusetts is in danger of losing its Federal transportation funding.

The agenda includes 149-151 Washington St. seeking a Special Permit with Design Review to establish a tattoo parlor.

Free walking tour highlighting American Tube Works complex, workers’ housing in Duck Village, and brick row houses along Summer Street with refreshments served at India Palace.

At this meeting the MPO will vote on whether to ignore the needs of Somerville and Medford residents and push back the Green Line Extension to 2018.

An important improvement to McGrath Highway would be to return it to its original concept, as a ground-level boulevard with predestrian crossings.

Agenda includes Assembly Square mixed use buildings on Blocks 1, 3, and 4, including a cinema. These proposals help fulfill the financial conditions needed for the success of the Assembly Square DIF and iCubed programs.

This is a critical meeting to give your comments on the Green Line extension delay. If you can’t attend either meeting, please send your comments by Sept 13.

Are you a fan of Marshmallow Fluff? Does it remind you of childhood memories of having the perfect combination of a Fluffernutter, do you dream about it swirled into Nutella for a delectable, chocolate, “fluffy”…

It is important to reunite neighborhoods, lower traffic speeds, and add more trees to make McGrath Hwy a boulevard.

So far—and rightfully so—Somerville activists have framed proposed development of 378-382 Somerville Avenue as a displacement issue. As predicted, the advent of the Green Line to Union Square would mean gentrification; 378-382 Somerville Avenue, site of proposed luxury condos, is the first incursion.…

Collaboration beats what we see in Congress, and…in…the Planning Board’s “solution” to Union Square affordable housing.

The agenda includes a public hearing on another extension of the IKEA permits and a continuation of the 378-390 Somerville Avenue development, which is controversial.

MassDOT and the MBTA are hosting a series of Green Line station design workshops, one for each proposed stop. It is important to integrate the new Green Line stations with the community and with the proposed Community Path. Your participation can help with this process.

Join us for an evening of festivities, fun and film as we kick off our new campaign
to get 350 NEW actions to make Somerville a cleaner, greener, healthier place to live

This is a presentation and panel discussion on how to finance public transportation in Massachusetts. Paying for public transportation has proved a critical problem in the current economic and political environment.

As the plan slowly creeps forward to the urban infill project in Union Square, residents, business owners and visitors are going to have an exceedingly hard time finding parking in and around the area.  It…

On the heels of Tom Waits’ induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, P.A.’s Lounge hosts a Tom Waits Tribute on April 30, 2011 to benefit the Somerville Homeless Coalition.

Agenda includes current GLX status, Community Path status, new consultant team, and station designs.

The Governing Body determines how much of the tax increment from DIF districts is used for district improvements and how much is returned to the city general fund.

SOMERVILLE – 02/15/2011 — Best Rate Insurance today announced that it has donated $500 to the Somerville Homeless Coalition. As part of the Arbella Insurance Group Charitable Foundation’s “Let’s Drive Out Hunger” program, Arbella matched the donation two-to-one, resulting in a total contribution of $1,500 to the Somerville Homeless Coalition.…

The agenda includes the MBTA Green Line Maintenance Facility, including air rights and a possible stadium, and impacts of the Green Line track layout around Brickbottom.

Putting the Grand Junction in use will increase rail traffic next to Brickbottom, which already lives with existing Commuter Rail service and shortly will live with the Green Line extension.

On Saturday, December 4th, Somerville comes alive with a bounty of holiday shopping.  An array craft markets and retail events all taking place this day makes Somerville the place to find something for everyone on…

This is the November meeting of the Green Line Extension design working group.

The Design Working Group is a key means for addressing neighborhood concerns relating to the Green Line stops in Somerville and Medford.

This is STEP’s regular monthly meeting. At this meeting STEP is likely to discuss:

* Current status of the Green Line Extension
* Current efforts to extend the Green Line to Route 16
* Current status of funding for the Assembly Square Orange Line T-Stop

Last week I was riding through Union Square with my daughter on the back of our tandem bicycle. As I pulled up to stop at the red light, a woman rolled down the window on her mini-van/SUV and screamed at us: “Do NOT ride on this road with that kid!” Her tone and facial expression overflowed with anger and hostility as she whipped around the corner staring daggers.…

A Public Hearing will be held on Wednesday, October 6th at 7pm at the Aldermanic Chambers to discuss the District Improvement Financing (DIF) Program covering Union Square, Boynton Yards, Inner Belt, and Somerville Avenue. This is displayed prominently on the City’s homepage.

This program will affect Somerville financing for the next 30 years and could result, in the future, in property takings by the city.

These are two identical presentations on the Green Line Extension station design guidelines and requirements. The Tuesday presentation is in Somerville; the same presentation is being given on Wednesday in Medford.

The Green Line Extension stations are now being designed. If you want input into the design, attend one of these meetings and ask questions.

District Improvement Financing is useful in building tax revenue, provided the projects supported are high enough in density to provide adequate tax base. If they aren’t, the city is on the hook.

Three years after the Somerville Avenue Reconstruction Project began, Union Square businesses are still hindered by lack of thoughtful pedestrian planning during construction; and Union Square residents, visitors and workers are still unable to walk these streets with confidence and comfort.

This is the fourth in the 8-part Free Webinar Series on Designing for Pedestrian Safety being given by the Federal Highway Administration and the Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center. Pedestrian and bicycle safety is essential to the success of the new Assembly Square roadways and Orange Line T-Stop and around the new Green Line stops.

This is the third in the 8-part Free Webinar Series on Designing for Pedestrian Safety being given by the Federal Highway Administration and the Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center. Pedestrian and bicycle safety is essential to the success of the new Assembly Square roadways and Orange Line T-Stop and around the new Green Line stops.

This is the second in the 8-part Free Webinar Series on Designing for Pedestrian Safety being given by the Federal Highway Administration and the Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center. Pedestrian and bicycle safety is essential to the success of the new Assembly Square roadways and Orange Line T-Stop and around the new Green Line stops.

This is the first in the 8-part Free Webinar Series on Designing for Pedestrian Safety being given by the Federal Highway Administration and the Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center. Safe pedestrian and bicycle access is essential to the success of the new Assembly Square Orange Line T-Stop and new Green Line stops.

All citizens of Somerville and Medford should evaluate this document and give feedback, because this is one of the final steps before the project begins implementation. Written comments will be accepted until July 23.

All citizens of Somerville and Medford should evaluate this document and give feedback, because this is one of the final steps before the project begins implementation. Written comments will be accepted until July 23 at holly.s.johnson@state.ma.us.

All citizens of Somerville and Medford should evaluate this document and give feedback, because this is one of the final steps before the project begins implementation. There will be a public meeting on June 30. Written comments will be accepted until July 23 at holly.s.johnson@state.ma.us.

Taste of Somerville Works to Go Green on June 8

With 400+ diners and 32 restaurants expected, more help needed with conservation and recycling.

Somerville, MA – May 24, 2010 – Door2Door…

This meeting is important because it relates to land use around the new Green Line stations in Somerville and to the forthcoming Comprehensive Plan for Somerville.

At this meeting, citizens will evaluate professional designs and documentation for the Green stations in your neighborhood.

This meeting is important because it begins work on sustainable station designs for the Green Line Extension.

This meeting is important because it provides background information on sustainable station designs for the Green Line Extension.

This meeting is important because Somerville’s use of public transit, already high, will increase as the Green Line Extension and Assembly Square Orange Line stop come in.

On April 22, 2010, between 5:55 a.m. and approximately 7:21 a.m., power was out in Somerville.  NStar’s explanation is that a manhole blew and there was a fire. This writer experienced the effects in Ward…