Image courtesy of Rafi Properties
Somerville City Councilors tonight will review zoning changes that set the ground rules for a 1.5-million-square foot tech campus planned by Boston-based Rafi Properties.
Rafi Properties is seeking to redevelop its Somernova campus off Somerville Avenue as a mixed-use development, including housing, offices and lab space.
Neighborhood residents and cultural groups negotiated with Rafi Properties on a community benefits agreement, which includes a commitment for permanently affordable arts and cultural spaces.
The Union Square Neighborhood Council voted this month to approve the agreement, with 71 percent of membership voting in favor. A two-thirds majority was required.
“This is a blueprint for how we can help early stage and venture backed companies grow creatively, sustainably and equitably – with artists, workers and residents at the center of it all,” Rafi Properties Vice President of Real Estate Kristin Phelan said in a statement.
Rafi Properties agreed to include 100,000 square feet of arts-related space in the project, including three live music venues, recording studios and art galleries and studios. The commitment responded to community concerns about redevelopment potentially displacing affordable creative space.
The developer’s construction manager, Boston-based Shawmut Design and Construction, has signed a project labor agreement with the Greater Boston Building Trades Unions and North Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters. The agreement sets goals of 25 percent of construction jobs for local residents, 25 percent to underrepresented groups and 12 percent to women.
Rafi Properties bought the low-rise industrial buildings now known as Somernova in 2018. It has attracted tech incubators including Greentown Labs and The Engine, and sought to redevelop the 7.4-acre campus to attract more companies in industries such as clean energy and tough tech.
The next milestone in the project is approval of a zoning amendment for the central Somerville Avenue area, including the Somernova campus.
The City Council’s Land Use Committee is scheduled to discuss the zoning amendments at tonight’s meeting.
