Somerset Development

Somerset Development
Name	Somerset Development
Type	Development project
Country	United States
State	Massachusetts
County	Suffolk County
Established	20th century

Somerset Development

Somerset Development is a planned urban redevelopment project associated with mixed-use construction, transit-oriented design, and public-private partnerships. It links to major institutions and stakeholders across regional real estate, transportation, finance, and preservation sectors. The project connects to municipal agencies, nonprofit foundations, academic centers, and cultural organizations involved in metropolitan revitalization.

Overview

Somerset Development interrelates with Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, Boston Redevelopment Authority, Federal Transit Administration, United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, National Trust for Historic Preservation and regional actors such as Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Harvard University, Boston University, Northeastern University, Tufts University and University of Massachusetts Boston. The initiative engages with national financiers like the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, Wells Fargo, Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, Goldman Sachs and regional lenders including Rockland Trust and Santander Bank (United States). It has involved design and planning firms with ties to Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, Sasaki Associates, Perkins+Will, Gensler, AECOM, STV Group, Turner Construction Company and Gilbane Building Company.

History

The project's origins trace to municipal initiatives similar to the Big Dig, urban renewal efforts of the New Deal era, and post-industrial redevelopment seen in Seaport District (Boston) transformations and the Kendall Square technology cluster expansion. Early planning phases referenced examples such as Battery Park City, Atlantic Yards, Hudson Yards, Canary Wharf and Docklands (London). Historic preservation dialogues invoked cases like Faneuil Hall Marketplace, Old South Meeting House, Paul Revere House and national debates surrounding Preservation Act-style legislation. Key milestones involved memoranda of understanding with municipal entities, collaborations with the Massachusetts Historical Commission, and negotiations reflecting precedents set by New York City Economic Development Corporation and Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

Urban Planning and Architecture

Design strategies drew on transit-oriented models exemplified by Transit-oriented development, integration with Interstate 93, proximity to Broadway (Boston), and connectivity to South Station, North Station, Logan International Airport, and the MBTA Red Line. Architects referenced modernist and adaptive reuse precedents such as Farnsworth House, Seagram Building, High Line (New York City), and Tate Modern conversions. Public realm planning considered standards from Congress for the New Urbanism and landscape approaches inspired by Frederick Law Olmsted, Capability Brown, Martha Schwartz, and James Corner Field Operations. Accessibility guidelines followed models from Americans with Disabilities Act-related practice and transit master plans by Massachusetts Department of Transportation.

Economic Impact and Employment

Economic assessments associated Somerset Development with job creation metrics similar to reports by Brookings Institution, Urban Institute, McKinsey & Company, Deloitte, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Ernst & Young, and KPMG. Projections referenced employment sectors trending in technology industry, biotechnology industry, financial services, professional services, hospitality industry and retail industry. Workforce development partnerships paralleled programs by MassHire, Boston Private Industry Council, Local Labor Union, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Laborers' International Union of North America, Carpenters' Union, and apprenticeship models promoted by Massachusetts Apprenticeship Program and Department of Labor (United States) initiatives.

Environmental and Infrastructure Considerations

Environmental planning drew on standards set by Environmental Protection Agency, Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, US Green Building Council, LEED certification, Energy Star, and regional resiliency frameworks such as Climate Ready Boston. Infrastructure coordination involved utilities like Eversource Energy, National Grid (United States), Verizon Communications, and municipal systems overseen by Boston Water and Sewer Commission. Stormwater and coastal resilience planning paralleled efforts in Chelsea Creek and South Boston Waterfront and referenced flood mitigation projects akin to The Big Dig-related waterproofing and Hurricane Sandy response models. Environmental reviews followed protocols similar to National Environmental Policy Act processes and assessments used by Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act.

Community and Social Effects

Community engagement strategies engaged neighborhood groups comparable to Local Initiatives Support Corporation, Boston Community Development Department, City of Boston Mayor's Office of Housing, Massachusetts Affordable Housing Alliance, Tenants' Rights organizations, and neighborhood associations in Roxbury, Dorchester, South End (Boston), Jamaica Plain, Allston and Brighton, Boston. Social impacts considered displacement case studies from Atlantic Yards and Hudson Yards debates, inclusionary zoning examples from Cambridge, Massachusetts policy, and affordable housing programs like Chapter 40B and Section 8. Cultural partnerships linked to Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Institute of Contemporary Art (Boston), Boston Symphony Orchestra, Boston Ballet, Boston Public Library and local arts councils.

Future Plans and Development Challenges

Future planning scenarios referenced regional growth forecasts by Metropolitan Area Planning Council, transit expansions akin to Green Line Extension, freight and passenger coordination with Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, and funding mechanisms used by Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act and New Markets Tax Credit programs. Challenges include coordinating regulatory review across agencies such as the Zoning Board of Appeal (Boston), financing models used by Massachusetts Housing Finance Agency, labor agreements influenced by Building Trades Unions, and legal frameworks invoked in disputes similar to cases before the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court and federal courts. Stakeholders for future phases included Boston Planning & Development Agency, Massachusetts Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities, philanthropic partners like Kresge Foundation, Barr Foundation, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and regional economic development entities including MassDevelopment.

Category:Planned developments in Massachusetts