Week in Review: Bank Robbery, Big Plans for Former IKEA Site

Partners HealthCare Coming to Former IKEA Site
Partners HealthCare, the largest private employer in the state, will became the first major office tenant in Assembly Row, we learned this week. The health care organization will bring about 4,500 employees to two buildings to be built on the parcel of land formerly owned by IKEA. 

Davis Square Bank Robbed
The Santander bank in Davis Square was robbed Thursday afternoon, and police sought the public's help in identifying the suspect.

Mayor Grilled on Union Square Plans
Somerville Mayor Joseph Curtatone held a live chat Thursday about plans to redevelop Union Square, and he faced some tough questions about eminent domain and the strategy of using one "master developer" to plan the redevelopment.

$400,000 Grant Earmarked for East Somerville Park
We learned this week that the state awarded Somerville a $400,000 PARC grant to construct a new park, Symphony Park, at the corner of Pearl and Florence streets.

City Approves More Money for Affordable Housing
The Somerville Board of Aldermen on Nov. 26 increased the "linkage fee" for affordable housing. The fee impacts larrge real estate projects in the city, and the Board of Aldermen raised the fee from $3.91 per square foot to $5.15 per square foot.

Special North Point Zoning Approved
Also on Nov. 26, the Somerville Board of Aldermen approved a special zoning district for the North Point area of the city. Most of the North Point district is in Cambridge, but there's a small part in Somerville. The new zoning calls for commercial development on the site.

Decision Coming Next Week on Revere Casino
The Massachusetts Gaming Commission will decide in the upcoming week if a proposed casino in Revere can move forward with its planning efforts. If the commission doesn't reject the Revere proposal, it will compete against another casino proposal—close to Somerville in Everett—for the lone casino license available in the Greater Boston region.

Historic Somerville Homes
We learned this week about two historic Somerville homes that were renovated and that received Historic Preservation Awards this year.