From Warehouses to Laboratories in Brickbottom
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VOL. 9 NO. 7 SOMERVILLE, MASS. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2021 TWENTY-FIVE CENTS Inside: From warehouses to laboratories in Brickbottom By Joe Creason On Tuesday February 9, the Urban Design Commission met with a design and develop- ment team representing a group of local real estate developers, property management and architectural firms, in order to discuss plans for the construction of a new life science work complex. Situated at the heart of Somerville’s histor- ic Brickbottom District, with close proximity East Somerville, to the MBTA Green Line Extension, the life revisited science complex will support lab, office and re- page 3 tail space for pedestrians at the ground level. “It’s really about the human experience, which we want to make sure is terrific in this neigh- borhood,” said Douglas Gensler, Principle and Co-managing Director for Gensler Boston. Gensler Boston is the design, architecture Somerville's Urban Design Commission recently met to discuss plans for development of a new life science and real estate firm tasked with creating plans work complex in the Brickbottom District. — Photo by Jay Venti on how this new life sciences Continued on page 4 'Language as Muse' and 'Joys, Sorrows, & Concerns' at Brickbottom Gallery The works of three local artists – Marjorie Spring Hill Project Forté, Antionette Winters and Susan Schmidt questioned – will be on display at Brickbottom Gallery page 5 through February 27. The Muses, the daughters of Zeus, were the source of inspiration for the creativity, wisdom and insight on which all artists depend. For many artists language serves as Muse. It not only offers inspiration, but also interpretation. Language as Muse, featuring the works of Forté and Winters, will explore different responses to language. In some instances, the works are vi- sual responses to specific texts. In others, the text is incorporated with visual elements. In still others, the words themselves become the singu- lar visual element. Of her work, Susan Schmidt says, "Joys, Sor- rows, & Concerns is an installation of projected Planning the return drawings slowly moving over a screen of printed to schools strips of paper. It began with drawings from the page 6 news media of immigrants in border detention The Language as Muse and Joys, Sorrows, & Concerns exhibit will be on display at Brickbottom Gallery centers that I later made into Continued on page 5 through February 27. 2••FEBRUARY 17, 2021 Somerville Weather Forecast for the week of February 17 – February 23 as provided by the National Weather Service DAY CONDITIONS HIGH/LOW PRECIPITATION HUMIDITY WIND Wednesday Sunny 30°/19° 3% 5% NW 13 mph February 17 The views and opinions expressed in Newstalk do not necessarily reflect those of The Somerville Times, its publisher or staff. The column has many contributors. Thursday Snow 30°/30° 95% 36% NNE 8 mph On Monday, March 1, at 2:00 p.m., you can tune in to watch February 18 Mayor Joe Curtatone’s midterm address. In Somerville, may- Friday ors give a midterm address every other year to update residents Rain 33°/17° 73% 29% N 12 mph February 19 on work done over the past year and outline goals and priori- ties for the coming year. Here’s how you can watch the speech Saturday Partly Cloudy 30°/14° 6% 10% WNW 14 mph live: Tune in to Somerville GovTV (RCN channel 13 or 613, February 20 Comcast channel 22). The midterm will be worked into regu- lar GovTV programming after it is first aired. Visit Somerville Sunday Sunny 32°/20° 5% 8% WNW 10 mph CityTV’s website, www.somervillema.gov/citycable, and click February 21 on the “Watch Live Stream” to see the speech whenever it is aired on GovTV. The video will also be shared on CityTV’s Monday Snow 37°/26° 47% 17% SSW 10 mph YouTube channel, www.youtube.com/SomervilleCityTV, February 22 where it can be watched any time. Tuesday ************************ Partly Cloudy 42°/31° 22% 8% W 8 mph The state has announced that those accompanying someone February 23 75 or older to their COVID-19 vaccine appointment at state NOTE: Conditions subject to change. Always check a daily forecast prior to activities that can be affected by the weather. sites are also eligible to get vaccinated. Anyone accompanying a senior to their vaccine appointment must have an appointment scheduled at the same site, on the same day, as the senior they are accompanying. To make an appointment at a state site, visit mass.gov/vaccine or call 211. Keep in mind that phone wait TheSomervilleTimes.com times may be long, so please be patient. TheCity of Somerville is also available to help those who face barriers to accessing vac- Comments of the Week cines including needing transportation or language assistance. If you are currently eligible to receive a vaccine – including Response to: Letters to the Editor – February 10 those in Phase 1 or who are 75 or older – and need help access- Usually drive, sometimes bike says: ing local vaccine resources, please call 311. 311 can also con- Today around 2:00 PM, after reading these letters, I happened to drive from Davis to the high nect seniors to the Council on Aging for support in signing up for State vaccine clinics. school. Almost all the street parking was taken. I encountered zero bicycles. ************************ This proposal would eliminate all parking along the entire length of Highland ave, between Da- Happy birthday this week to the following: Happy birthday vis and Mcgrath, making the businesses on this burgeoning commercial corridor inaccessible to to Donna Alibrandi, who is celebrating this week. We hope anyone without a Somerville parking permit, and much more difficult to reach for anyone else in she has a great day. Also celebrating this week is Denise Rac- a car, representing the vast majority of users. Driving from Watertown to Highland Kitchen with icot-Kallis. We wish her the very best of birthdays. Happy the family? Don’t bother – not possible. Coming from Boston to a big event at the Armory / high birthday another popular lady, Celia Taylor, we hope she has a school? Don’t bother. Quick stop at a convenience store? Better look on Medford street. great day. Happy birthday to local realtor Continued on page 7 Additionally, this would remove the occasional ability for cars to sneak past other cars when mak- ing turns at intersections, causing even more backups along Highland for most of its users, includ- ing buses. This may sound trivial, but these little micro-delays really compound. Nobody who gets around by bike is going to suddenly start frequenting businesses on Highland Ave just because of the sudden presence of a bike lane – they were already going to those business- 699 Broadway, Somerville, MA 02144 es. If they tell you otherwise, they’re lying. Also, nobody is going to take up biking simply because [email protected] Highland has a bike lane – there are other ways to bike across Somerville & that decision was www.thesomervilletimes.com already made. And what’s most bizarre is that we’d force all these users, occupants and business owners of Highland ave into such contortions when we just spent 3 decades and untold dollars 617-666-4010 • Fax: 617-628-0422 getting the state to give us a cool new bike path that parallels within a couple blocks the entire www.facebook.com/ length of Highland Ave. If I’m commuting from Davis to Lechemere by bike I’m sure as hell going @somervilletimes thesomervilletimes to take the new bike path, with or without bike lanes on Highland. It’s flatter and nicer. In short, this does nothing for climate change, has negligible safety benefits, and would impose – Somerset Valley Publishing Inc. Publisher hardship on a great many people on a regular basis. I’m afraid to say it’s just an attempt by a small Editor – Jim Clark subset of bikers to get a shiny new toy. Assignment Editor – Bobbie Toner Response to: Memories of SHS Auditorium, Part 1 Advertising Director – Bobbie Toner Arts Editor – Doug Holder Steve Keenan says: Thanks for the memories, Jimmy. Mrs. Carafotes, Mr. Smith, and Mr. Limberakis were wonderful Writers: Jim Clark, Denise Keniston, Isabel Sami, Rachel Berets, Elizabeth Long people and teachers. There were many fine teachers at SHS. My favorite teacher was Mr. David Contributors: Jimmy Del Ponte, Dorothy Dimarzo, Jones; he was just the best! Steve Keenan-Class of 1968 Blake Maddux, Bob Doherty, Ross Blouin Photographer: Claudia Ferro Response to: Lyrical Somerville – February 10 The Somerville Times is published every Wednesday Harris B Gardner says: A proud member of the following newspaper organizations: Excellent poem, Ed!!! One of Nature’s many warnings. Do Gypsy moths have natural predators or are they an invasive species? Log onto TheSomervilleTimes.com to leave your own comments © 2020 The Somerville Times except where noted. All rights reserved. FEBRUARY 17, 2021••3 Life in the Ville by Jimmy Del Ponte East Somerville, revisited I've written many Leone’s. Lived around the corner from stories about one of Khoury's. Used to get comics at Rainbow my favorite parts of Spa. I went to Patsy's for bread. My mom the city, East Somer- worked at Apollo Cake." ville. A guy I know "I graduated from Somerville Trade in casually asked why 1967 - Electrical Shop - served in the I never write about US Navy Seabees 1968-1972 as a Con- East Somerville. I've struction Electrician. First duty station actually done many East Somerville re- was US Naval Support." (Activity, Da- lated stories since starting this column in nang, Vietnam in 1969.