City Puts Yard 21 Out to Bid, Parcel of Assembly Square

SOMERVILLE, MA-In the latest move in what is becoming the ongoing saga known as the development of Assembly Square here, the city is releasing a request for proposal for Yard 21, a 9.3 acre parcel of the 145-acre site. Yard 21 is a crucial part of Taurus New England’s plans to develop Assembly Square Common as it is one of the the three parcels that make up that 20-acre site. Taurus or Gravestar already own the other two parcels–the Garrity Oil site and 64 Sturdevant Street–which adjoin Yard 21. Gravestar is Taurus’s new partner in the Common’s development.

The RFP process promises to be competitive, according to Sean Fitzgerald, spokesperson for Mayor Dorothy Kelly Gay. A number of developers have expressed interest in the site, including, according to GlobeSt.com’s sources, Cathartes Investments, a well-known local developer. “We know there will be a lot of competition,” Natasha Perez, community and public affairs manager for Gravestar, tells GlobeSt.com. “But we’ve pulled together a pretty impressive plan.”

Gravestar is best known for redeveloping Porter Square in Cambridge, which was an EPA model for sustainable growth. “One of the reasons we joined with Taurus was so they could bring in a community-oriented developer,” notes Perez.