Xmbly

Amended Plans Filed for Xmbly in Somerville

Changes have been proposed for the 9+ acre Xmbly development in Somerville. Currently, on the project, construction has kicked off for the 329 unit Alta XMBLY which would now be the only residential building within the project. New plans call for the elimination of the 190,000 square foot residential tower on Block 25. This change allows for an increase in publicly accessible open space and an increase in office/lab/R&D space by approximately 272,000 square feet, inclusive of approximately 80,000 square feet of innovative space. A total of 1,220,000 square feet of office/lab/R+D  space would now be provided within 3 buildings. Plans also call for a reduction in retail/restaurant space to 24,500 square feet but an increase in parking from 1696 spaces to 1899 in total.

SGA Envisions Active Setting for Xmbly

SGA, a local architecture firm with offices in Boston and New York envisions Xmbly as an opportunity to fully connect Somerville as a city and to its neighbor, Boston. The master plan of the 9-acre parcel focuses on creating a vibrant mixed-use destination which links East Somerville to the Assembly Row Development, Somerville’s waterfront and the MBTA orange line. The site is organized to accommodate a mix of office, residential, hospitality, entertainment and retail uses to create an active setting for its users.

The project is a 1.9 million square foot development of a 9.4-acre Assembly Row parcel largely comprised of surface parking into a mixed-use complex with a hotel, lab, office, residential and retail uses. Xmbly would consist of 814,000 square-feet office/R&D space, 489 housing units, renovation of an existing building with 162,000 square feet of office space, and 21,000 square-feet of retail space.

A look at Xmbly: Somerville's Next Big Project

Cresset Development and Novaya Real Estate Ventures have released renderings for their planned four-phase, 1.9 million square foot development of a 9.4-acre Assembly Row parcel largely comprised of surface parking into a mixed-use complex with a hotel, lab, office, residential and retail uses. Xmbly would consist of 814,000 square-feet office/R&D space, 489 housing units, renovation of an existing building with 162,000 square feet of office space, and 21,000 square-feet of retail space.

Cresset acquires Assembly Row development site for $35 million

Cresset Development has acquired 5 Middlesex Avenue, the site of a proposed 1.9-million-square-foot mixed-use development on which the proponent plans to break ground in 2019, for $35 million. An existing 195,000 square foot office building stands on the property. Cresset plans to complete permitting for the proposed development, which was originally proposed by seller RD Management and would retain the existing building, this year.

The 5 Middlesex Avenue development was a key component of the City of Somerville’s recent submission to Amazon’s headquarters request for proposals (RFP), and would include approximately 1.7 million square feet of office/lab space in addition to residences, retail and hotel rooms. East Boston Savings Bank provided $31 million in mortgage financing towards Cresset’s acquisition of the development site, which is located steps from the recently opened Assembly MBTA Orange Line station and minutes from Interstate 93.

1.9 million square foot development coming to Assembly Row

RD Management has filed an Environmental Notification Form (ENF) with the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs with new details of a 1.9 million square foot, four-phase mixed-use development project planned for a 9.4-acre Assembly Row parcel largely comprised of surface parking; the following is a link to the filing. Hotel, lab, office, residential and retail uses would be constructed; an existing 195,000 square foot office building would be retained.

RD Management has not yet filed plans with the Somerville Planning Board for the project. Per the ENF filing, RD Management has contracted with a hotel developer who is ready to begin design and construction of Phase 1, a five-story mixed-use building containing a 188-room hotel, 147 residential units and ground-floor retail. Banker & Tradesman reports that RD Management hopes to start construction of Phase 1 in Spring 2017. Additional information about the proposed project can be found above.