Wood Partners' proposal. Image courtesy of PCA Architects
Two developers submitted starkly contrasting designs for hundreds of housing units at a former shopping center property next to the MBTA Green Line Extension in Somerville.
North River Leerink proposes up to 600 apartments in three or four buildings – including a 14-story tower – surrounding a central green on the 4-acre parcel at 90 Washington St.
Wood Partners submitted plans for a 7-story, 343,725 square-foot building wrapping around a 398-space parking garage.
The site was previously designated for a potential new public safety complex and acquired by the city of Somerville through eminent domain in 2019.
North River Leerink and Wood Partners submitted the only two proposals for the property, which is being offered for redevelopment through an outright sale that could be completed in 2027.
New York-based North River Leerink proposed up to four buildings including a 14-story tower on Washington Street with a ground-floor arts center.
“Our concept is to maximize housing with multiple residential buildings that sit above ground floor retail and dining that will appeal to the broader community,” executives wrote in a submission to the Somerville Housing Authority.
The building heights would step down to six stories at the property’s eastern boundary “to address anticipated concerns from Cobble Hill residents about scale and shadowing”. The submission released by the city did not include architectural renderings.
In the request for proposals issued in January, Somerville officials indicated the property could be rezoned for high-rise housing thanks to 90 Washington St.’s proximity to transit.
The project’s 200 proposed underground parking spaces are “well below the demand implied by the unit count,” developers stated.
Wood Partners proposes 324 apartments in a 7-story, 343,725 square-foot development, including 398 parking spaces in a central garage.
The project would include nearly 15,000 square feet of ground-floor retail space and a 5,770 square-foot community center.
The configuration “supports construction efficiency, long-term operational performance, and a coherent urban edge along Washington Street,” Wood Partners wrote in its submission.
To comply with Somerville’s inclusionary zoning ordinance, both proposals for 90 Washington St. reserve 20 percent of the apartments to households earning a mixture of 50, 80 and 110 percent of area median income.
Headquartered in Atlanta with local offices in Lexington, Wood Partners owns more than 80 properties in the U.S. totaling approximately 25,000 apartments. Since 2008, it has developed more than 5,000 apartments in Greater Boston, including the 329-unit Alta Revolution complex at Somerville’s Assembly Row.
North River Leerink owns and operates over 5 million square feet of commercial and residential real estate. The company developed a 208,600 square-foot lab project at 100 Chestnut St. in the Inner Belt which was completed in 2023. The project attracted leases by ADA Forsyth Institute, Ultragenyx and Charles River Accelerator and Development Lab.
Dorchester-based Corcoran Mullins Jennison, the previous owner of the Cobble Hill Shopping Center, challenged the price paid by the city in the eminent domain taking, and won a $30 million judgment in 2024. In the RFP, city officials said they hope to recoup a large portion of the damages through the redevelopment.
A virtual public meeting is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. on April 22 by the Civic Advisory Committee overseeing the project.
