One of three possible designs developer Copper Mill has told residents it could use for its planned residential tower in Davis Square. Image courtesy of CBT Architects
Boston-based developer Copper Mill won’t pursue a 500-unit apartment tower in Davis Square, citing a “constant lack of direction from city leadership” over the past three years.
Somerville Mayor Jake Wilson, who succeeded Katjana Ballantyne as mayor in January, described developer Andrew Flynn’s statement as “in a word, laughable.”
“Anyone who works with us knows we are serious about working with developers in our city,” Wilson said, adding that the administration is willing to offer tax breaks to fill vacant lab buildings in areas such as Assembly Square and recently restarted a neighborhood planning study in Davis Square.
The Copper Mill project would have replaced a row of storefronts, including the Burren Pub, with a 25-story apartment building. Copper Mill sought to gain approval under Chapter 40B, the affordable housing zoning law.
Some neighbors objected to the size and height of the building, while other opponents predicted it would accelerate gentrification and rent increases in the area. Supporters said the location – approximately one block from an MBTA Red Line station – is ideal for high-density development that would reduce competition for existing housing stock.
The project permitting was paused since last winter, when MassHousing informally asked for modifications.
Flynn presented updated designs to a neighborhood meeting in April, including stepbacks reducing the height to 15 stories near residential neighborhoods south of the property.
Flynn announced the decision to drop the project in a letter to the Davis Square Neighborhood Council, which would have been responsible for negotiating a community benefits agreement.
In the three-page letter, Flynn praised the neighborhood council’s leadership while faulting city officials for providing misleading and contradictory direction.
“We have completed dozens of designs and redesigns at the request of the city; we have studied complex engineering matters for the city (e.g. Davis Square water-tables); we have been patient and accommodating to the city when they have asked us to ‘wait’ or ‘pause’ at various times; we have conducted exhaustive stakeholder engagement; we have made community commitments which far exceed typical development commitments. We have sought to move this housing development forward in good faith,” the letter states. “However, there has been no reciprocity from city leadership.”
The delays forced Copper Mill to “step away from its arrangement with the property owners,” Flynn added. “It’s simply not feasible to continue to pour capital into a project, even one that would build 500 housing units, when the city continues to demonstrate that it is not serious about building more housing.”
Wilson defended his record, noting that the city-sponsored Davis Square Neighborhood Plan is restarting this fall, which is expected to result in new guidelines for development.
“It’s all gas and no brakes on this,” he said. “We are not going to lose any urgency on this because the Copper Mill proposal is off the table.”
Noting the city’s tax increment financing agreement for TransMedics to lease a vacant lab tower in Assembly Square, Wilson said his administration is open to similar deals to fill other vacant lab buildings.
Wilson also said the city plans to address ground floor vacancies in Davis Square and elsewhere with stepped-up enforcement of its vacant storefront ordinance, following informational meetings with commercial property owners. The ordinance calls for fines on property owners, but a study released last fall indicated that only seven properties have even registered for the database.
