I deal with a federal agency that moved from Crystal City in Arlington VA to Alexandria VA a while back. Alexandria has seen some changes over the years, but it will never be as sterile as Crystal City is. As long as the City of Somerville plans this right, things will (hopefully) be okay.

Alexandria has a large Crystal City. Its called Eisenhower Ave

By anon on Tue, 10/30/2018 - 1:03pm.

That's where most federal agencies are relocating within Virginia. Along the beltway in the Eisenhower Ave corridor. Its bigger and uglier than Crystal City. Pray tell which agency are you referring to? They likely jumped from Crystal City 1.0 to Crystal City 2.0.

Eisenhower is different

By Waquiot on Tue, 10/30/2018 - 3:46pm.

That is more like Route 9 around here. I once ran a mile (2 miles if you count the return) on Eisenhower. Not as nice as Crystal Drive.

That said, Eisenhower begins by Old Town. That is still pretty nice. And I shall not mention which federal agency. Do you really think my name is Waquiot, anon? I will say that the move was a good one.

Its USPTO. And no. Its not a precedent for Union Square

By anon on Thu, 11/01/2018 - 1:09pm.

US Patent and Trademark consolidated and moved into Alexandria's Carlyle region, aka Alexandria's Crystal. Its similar to what Partners did at Assembly Row. Its not a precedent for Union Square

The Big Story Here . .

By Oscar Worthy on Fri, 10/26/2018 - 10:26pm.

Gottleib of the Herald found a national publication that would pay for a story that's 5 years old.

Somerville Stands Together may have a thing or two to say

By anon on Sat, 10/27/2018 - 1:43pm.

About this outdated article.

They're demolishing the entire neighborhood

By Russ on Sat, 10/27/2018 - 12:13am.

I can understand building on the empty lots, and I guess we don't need a garden center there, but it looks like every building in the area will be destroyed, It's a bit much.

Developers suck.

By uhub-fan on Sat, 10/27/2018 - 10:53am.

(End of message.)

I wouldn't go that far

By Russ on Sat, 10/27/2018 - 3:05pm.

We need development and who else but developers can build big projects. I just think that they should mix in the new with the old, not knock down the entire neighborhood and start from scratch.

Yet...

By rb on Sat, 10/27/2018 - 11:20am.

This plan assumes the Dunkin' will stay intact, with oversized parking lot (see artist's rendering).

Missing the Lottery Winners

By tedpk on Sat, 10/27/2018 - 10:37am.

Everytime you read one of these stories about a potentially nascent hotbed of development you hear about tenants being displaced and glass boxes rising -- everyone who is interviewed seems to want to preserve the existing 19th and early 20th C tenements, 3-deckers and similar structures.

No one seems to notice that the new development makes "Lottery Winners" out of many of the owners of the old structures -- your 3-decker is suddenly worth a Million$ -- not for the old timeder box construction -- but because of the lot on which it sits

Sure keep the neighborhood overall -- but let the wling distance area around the T and major road intersections get developed intensively

Everyone in the end then wins as the City has more $ to fix-up schools {Somerville HS on the verge of losing its accreditation] build and upgrade parks and community centers and yes even finance housing for lower income residents

PS: recent stories in several other local publications e.g.

Somerville zoning could see biggest changes since 1990:
Immensely dense city wants to preserve current character but encourage development
By Tom Acitelli Oct 25, 2018, 6:31am EDT

https://boston.curbed.com/2018/10/25/18019454/somerville-zoning-ordinance
indicate that Somerville is in the process of revising its zoning to allow for a lot more of what is going on in and around Assembly Square

Obligatory GLX Comment

By Waquiot on Sat, 10/27/2018 - 11:07am.

Blah, blah, blah. Pollack is the only person who supports this. Yada, yada, yada. Pressley will ensure funding is cut. Blah, blah, blah. Trees have been cut down. Blub, blub, blub. In fact, they've stopped work on the project, except for all the work at Gilman Square.

I hope I hit all the salient non-points.

Obligatory Waquiot Correction. Gilman GLX dead zone

By anon on Sat, 10/27/2018 - 1:49pm.

I live in Gilman. With the exception of a temp rail bypass, Gilman GLX is a dead zone. The active construction equipment in the area is for the Somerville High School project. Freight and Amtrak trains are running on the line again. Gilman GLX remains dead.

I think you forgot the commuter rail

By Waquiot on Sat, 10/27/2018 - 11:03pm.

And the proper phrase is "dormant."

But I bet that somewhere along the GLX is active. I dunno, maybe Union Square. (I honestly don't know, since I am rarely in Somerville.)

Hahaha that looks HIDEOUS

By Sonicyouth on Sat, 10/27/2018 - 1:10pm.

Hahaha that looks HIDEOUS

The next Kendall Square: Next door in Somerville?

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