Assembly Square is the site of a mixed-use, smart growth development under construction on 66.5 acres (269,000 m2) along the Mystic River in Somerville, Massachusetts. The site, named for the Ford Motor Company auto assembly plant that operated here until 1958, is two miles (3 km) from downtown Boston and accessible via I-93 and Route 28/Middlesex Fells Parkway. The property owner and lead developer is Federal Realty Investment Trust (FRT).
The first part of the redevelopment of Assembly Square, completed in early 2006, was the Assembly Square Marketplace, a 332,000 square feet (30,800 m2) mall comprising the retail stores Christmas Tree Shops, A.C. Moore, Sports Authority, Staples, TJMaxx, Kmart, and Bed Bath & Beyond, surrounded by 1937 parking spaces.
The second part of the redevelopment is the mixed-use portion on 45 acres (180,000 m2), branded Assembly Row. After two years of preparing the former brownfields site, ground broke in April 2012 for two residential apartment blocks, a new main street, and the adjacent MBTA transit station. The apartment buildings, the Avalon at Assembly Square (195 units) and AVA Somerville (253 units), are designed by Elkus Manfredi Architects and developed by AvalonBay Communities Inc., a US-based Real Estate Investment Trust and manager of luxury apartments.
The first major retail tenant was expected to be a new IKEA store but the IKEA Corporation backed out in July 2012 amid stalled plans for IKEA's expansion within the U.S. FRT, which purchased IKEA's 12 acres (49,000 m2) in December 2012, pledged to use the parcel to add medical offices, more residences, and a supermarket to the overall development.
Subsequent phases will include construction of premium retail outlets, restaurants, more residential space, state-of-the-art office and research and development space, a 12-screen cinema, and a 200-room hotel. Amenities will include a new MBTA Orange Line mass transit station (projected opening, Fall 2014) and the renewal of the waterfront along the Mystic River with a marina, a park, bike paths, and other green space.
When completed, Assembly Row will have over 500,000 square feet (46,000 m2) of pedestrian-oriented retail, 2100 residential units, and 1,750,000 square feet (163,000 m2) of office and R&D space.
Read more about Assembly Square: History, Redevelopment Timeline, Impact, Ownership and Funding
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