Demolition Begins on Waste Transfer Station

Somerville held a sledgehammer party Monday to celebrate the demolition of the former waste transfer station, which for decades stood as an "eyesore"—according to Somerville Mayor Joseph Curtatone—along McGrath Highway.

For much of the 20th century, the waste transfer station served as a trash incinerator, and Waste Management, the most recent tenant, vacated the building on July 31 after the city terminated its lease at the facility. 

At Monday's ceremony, residents and children listened to "Sledgehammer," by Peter Gabriel, and took turns smashing bricks and a cardboard replica of the building. A brass band played.

Demolition of the building was set to begin this week, and it's expected to progress quickly.

In the short term, the city will cap off the site and use the area for things like art exhibits and urban agriculture initiatives, according to Curtatone. In the long term, the site is part of a bigger vision for the Brickbottom and Inner Belt neighborhoods, which the city hopes to develop. Among other things, the Washington Street Green Line station, set to be complete by 2017, is a short walk from the site, and there are plans to tear down the McGrath Highway, which separates the neighborhood from the rest of the city.

Above, Curtatone talks about the demolition of the waste transfer station and what it means for the city.

More 

Somerville Waste Transfer Station to Be Demolished in August
City Hires Company to Demolish Waste Transfer Station
You Ask, Patch Answers: What's Up With the Brickbottom Transfer Station
City To Terminate Brickbottom Transfer Station Lease