Union Square as it was in the days of old.

By Mary Bridger

After touring four cities in four days the Somerville Redevelopment Authority (SRA) returned for another scheduled meeting at City Hall on June 5, with only the Abbey Group to tour this Wednesday June 11.

Of the remaining four applicants vying to become the master developer of Union square only FRIT/National Development and the Abbey Group are local Boston developers. Magellan/US2 is a Chicago developer and Gerding Elden is from Portland, Oregon, both with very little if any Boston development experience.

While various groups and officials from across the city have given their time to this process, particularly the Citizen Advisory Committee (CAC), only the SRA is vested with the mandate to award the RFP to the master developer they choose as the best qualified group to “pave” the future of Union Square and Somerville. What Somerville can not go through is a long process with a developer who decides to pack its bags and head back to where they came from like has happened to our friends from the south in Quincy.

At the SRA meeting on June 5, CAC members Mike Dacey and Wig Zamore appeared and spoke about their observations on the coast-to-coast tour with the city. Mr. Dacey appeared to be most in favor of Gerding Edlen’s designs and final product. Unfortunately, he did not comment on nor was he asked by the SRA about the huge concerns of Gerding’s financial strength in difficult economic times and lender takebacks, a topic that became most apparent when the CAC first appeared before the SRA to give their four recommendations. Our sources here at The Times have been informed that Gerding apologized to the SRA in Portland last week for being evasive in not answering written questions on the subject.

Mr Dacey and Mr. Zamore also provided input on Magellan/US2 from Chicago and although they were impressed it appears that Magellan is more of a “cookie cutter” style developer, again with no track record here in the Boston area. However, in Chicago they have erected very large skyscrapers, maximizing their density. Is Union Square really the best place for tall sky scrapper style buildings with a bland style? Comments from SRA members were positive on Magellan’s financial strengths but poor on transit oriented living. It appears that Magellan has never worked in concert with a transit authority in planning a village or new neighborhood which is precisely the point here in our soon to be “improved” Union square.

Another theme that was apparent at the SRA meeting was that FRIT’s Bethesda Row, Maryland development was a revitalization, transit master plan that preserved the older character of Bethesda while creating a more vibrant, walkable space easily accessible to transit. SRA members and City officials were impressed with the developments ability to attract and maintain smaller style retail for its inhabitants and visitors. Although it’s been raised that FRIT is already developing Assembly Row, one official commented that, “It’s nice to have local partner that can complete what they promise.”