Senator Kerry visited the Assembly Square construction site on Saturday and praised the project for its promise to create jobs and broaden the city's economic base through the creation of hotel, retail, office, park and residential space. The project, which Kerry said could create as many as 20,000 new jobs and 18,000 temporary ones, is poised to receive up to $56 million in federal stimulus funds. This funding will create jobs in "a matter of days and weeks," according to Kerry, and will go toward roadway and water-sewer improvements to support the $1.36 billion project. Kerry said that "Assembly on the Mystic" is a top priority for Governor Patrick, and has been included in the list of "shovel-ready" projects that can commence as soon as the stimulus funding flows. Kerry spoke about the project's economic benefits, saying that the growth in the tax base of Somerville, the most densely populated city in New England, will help reduce residents' property taxes. "This is an example of how public investment can have such an incredible return" said Curtatone, who reported that Assembly on the Mystic would increase the city's tax base by $33 million. The next phase of Assembly on the Mystic will involve building the 340,000 square-foot IKEA store. The Swedish furniture retailer was originally slated for a waterfront location, but agreed to move the store to an inland section of the lot as a part of a land swap this past summer that allowed the project to move forward. The plans also include a waterfront park, 2100 residential units, new restaurants and retailers, and paths to make the area more accessible to pedestrians and bicyclists. "What looks like a vast empty area will be the most dynamic area in the region" Mayor Curtatone said, standing in a flattened dirt lot bordered by rails, I-93, Rt-28, and the Mystic River. The Orange line trains traveling between Medford and Sullivan Square, the T's lone Somerville stop, can be seen passing the site. This is set to change though, as a plan for a stop at Assembly Square is being planned for 2013. A $25 million earmark has been secured the for the Assembly Square T stop, and another $15 million of private funding will be provided by developer Federal Realty. No federal funding will be allocated to the new station, according to Curtatone. Up until this past summer, the T stop has been held back by what The Somerville Transportation Equity Project (STEP) calls a chicken or the egg problem: "An Orange Line stop is needed to jump-start mixed-use development at Assembly Square, but the MBTA wants to see a developed Assembly Square before planning a new T stop there." STEP's website also points out that, according to the 2000 Census, one quarter of Somerville residents do not have cars, and although one of the 6 passenger trains that passes through Somerville stops in it. "The Assembly Square T stop will help unlock the prosperity of the site," said Kerry. Throughout Kerry's brief speech, he emphasized the larger picture that the Assembly Square effort is a part of, and praised Obama's efforts in passing the federal stimulus bill, and expressed dismay at the lack of Republican support. "This is the most important thing we can do," he said, "put people back to work, create jobs, restore confidence in the economy, and get back to work to make America strong." | |||||||
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