Assembly Square Orange Line Station Discussion

If this is going to be a side-platform station, would they need to disrupt service at all?

All the diagrams I have seen show it as a center platform.

This shuttle arrangement would be a lot less disruptive it they would run the trains much more frequently during the off hours. Including every six minutes instead of 13.5 minuts all day and evening Sunday. Go to two car trains if needed.

Buses would then need to run just from Sullivan Square to Wellington in this example.

I think the IKEA/Assembly Sq project has to get going first before there is bustitution on the Orange Line. From what I am seeing and hearing the project has slowed with the economy being what it is. I would want to see some building taking place before a station is started otherwise it would be a station like Bowdoin with little traffic.

And why three years this is IKEA they should be able to make an easy to assemble transit station!

JoeD

What ever happened to building the Ikea and the Assembly Square station? They leveled the buildings and now it's just an empty field that's breeding weeds.

Economy! The original plans were drawn up in the boom period now its the bust period, much like the Filene's project in Downtown Crossing. It has slowed down considerably but as far as I can tell it is not dead, yet. One benefit for Somerville was that they used the land to dump this winter's snows. Funny when approach the Wellington Bridge on the Somerville side the little of the hugh snow mounds left show, a park bench, a few battered metal recycling container like you would find on a street corner, some bikes and so on. They are more aggressive in Somerville with snow removal.

Like I said earlier I hope they do not build the new station then have IKEA or the project backers pull out of the deal. Sort of a station to now where.

JoeD

Aren't there some private funds in the Assembly Square station project, such as from IKEA?

If so, that could establish a timetable where the construction has to take place even though the commercial development isn't there yet.

But that would be an advantage because if the project backers don't follow through, then they leave money behind in the station and others will enjoy the station.

Even if Ikea backs out, the Assembly Square Mall is a block away.

This isn't all about Ikea, either, as hundreds of thousands of square feet of retail and offices (maybe some residential???) are going to built. Ikea is only thrown out there because their the largest company to "promise" they'll open. If the offices are to be built because of the station, I doubt they'll care if Ikea backs out, people will rent the offices still whether or not Ikea is there.

I wish instead of ploping the ikea behind the home depot in that corner the MBTA would give them the air rights over the tracks. It would really be a win-win. The MBTA would get a shell to build a station inside of, the assembly square project would get more land to build mixed use buildings on, and the weedy mess around the tracks that is there will be covered up. Ikeas tend to be built on sticks over parking anyway, so I dont really see how much of a difference it would make whether it is built over train tracks or a parking garage.



^You can see the ikea could just be moved back over the tracks. Also as mentioned, there is apparently plans to have retail and residential in the works. Although seeing how blah the existing stuff they have put up is, I dont really know who would want to live there.

IMO, right where Ikea is, somebody should be utilizing the great freight access that is there. Those two old stubs do nothing but hold work train cars, and with the Green Line extension, the work train staging area has got to move, so the tracks will be opened up. One could be turned into a path (as Somerville has been trying to do, I think) and the other used to serve whatever goes in where Ikea is supposed to. Ikea seems to just be passing up the opportunity without even noticing.

But I don't think Ikea would prefer to move to air rights at all, access would probably be a lot harder. They could have escalators and elevators, but I'm sure they want to keep as much on the first floor as possible.

ugh 3 years would be horrible. they should open oak grove to commuter rail if they do.

BostonUrbEx wrote:IMO, right where Ikea is, somebody should be utilizing the great freight access that is there. Those two old stubs do nothing but hold work train cars, and with the Green Line extension, the work train staging area has got to move, so the tracks will be opened up. One could be turned into a path (as Somerville has been trying to do, I think) and the other used to serve whatever goes in where Ikea is supposed to. Ikea seems to just be passing up the opportunity without even noticing.

But I don't think Ikea would prefer to move to air rights at all, access would probably be a lot harder. They could have escalators and elevators, but I'm sure they want to keep as much on the first floor as possible.

Have you been to the Ikea in Stoughton before?
Just FYI, the entire store is built over the parking garage. The garage is ground level, the checkout/warehouse/shopping floor is above that, and the display floor is on top of that. Ikea is no stranger to building up, or using elevators and escalators.

It would be kinda neat to be able to shop for furniture and look through a window in the floor and see and orange line train rumbling through though. . . . . .


I'd also wonder if in some future time, the Orange Line itself might move over a little bit, to where the staging/freight car storage tracks are to allow the commuter rail to gain a track or two to allow easier access to/from North Station?

Yes, I have been to that Ikea. It's larger than a Wal Mart Supercenter. If you get lost, you'll be tired by the time you find your way out!

BostonUrbEx wrote:But I don't think Ikea would prefer to move to air rights at all, access would probably be a lot harder. They could have escalators and elevators, but I'm sure they want to keep as much on the first floor as possible.

I guess I said it badly, but as mentioned most ikeas showrooms are on the second, if not third floor of the complex. Of the three I've been to they are all set up this way.

I like the idea of the space being used for some kind of industrial use, but once the station is built that land will probably become too valuable for that use.