Preliminary Design Funding Awarded for Phase 1

When we completed our 25% design for the Union Square Streetscape & Plaza project, our project team recommended a phasing strategy to help organize this large, complex project into manageable pieces. We identified a “Phase 1” area consisting of the Prospect Street Webster Avenue and Concord Avenue. We estimated that for Phase 1, the City would need roughly $1.4 million to complete the design and engineering work and $12 million to construct the new design.

Despite the current economic slowdown, the City has continued our efforts to pull together funding for our Phase 1 design effort. We are excited to report that the City was awarded a state grant for more than $700,000. Staff from several City departments are working together to identify options to complete the rest of this Phase 1 design budget. We anticipate that we will be able to start our design effort in 2026 on this aspect of the Union Square Streetscape & Plaza project. We are also working to pursue grants and other external financing sources to create a construction budget for the Phase 1 project. We thank you for your patience as we navigate unprecedented pressures on our City’s financial resources.

Many Somerville community members have been involved with the MassDOT Webster Avenue bridge replacement project, which is currently scheduled to begin construction in 2027. You can learn more about this project at this link. The City is working with our partners at MassDOT to ensure that their project is compatible with our community’s vision for the Union Square area.

At this time, there is no financing plan for later phases of the Union Square Streetscape & Plaza project. As soon as we have more information about these next stages, we will update this project website.

If you have any questions regarding Phase 1, please reach out to the Mobility Division at transportation@somervillema.gov. If you would like to get updates on this project and other transportation planning efforts in the City, please consider subscribing to the Mobility Newsletter.