Videos to Show 'Faces of Assembly Row'

After years of planning and construction, Assembly Row is slated to open in May.

To mark the occasion, Federal Realty Investment Trust, the new neighborhood's developers, are producing a series of videos called "Faces of Assembly Row."

They'll be posting the videos to their website and social media every two weeks until April, right before the grand opening. They'll also be posting them to Somerville Patch.

You can see the first video—which serves as an introduction to the series—above.

Assembly Row, working with Davis Square's Powderhouse Productions, has already produced about six videos, and it's working on more. 

Andrea Simpson, director of marketing at Federal Realty Investment Trust, said the videos will provide "a brief look behind the scenes" at Assembly Row.

Simpson said the series is not just about promoting the real estate development, although that's certainly part of it. "There are so many partners that go into building something like Assembly Row" and the videos were "created to help shine a light on that," she said.

One video will feature East Somerville Main Streets, a local non-profit; another will include an interview with a third-generation Ten Hills resident who goes running along the Mystic River, and one will feature Somerville Mayor Joseph Curtatone.

Russ Joyner, vice president and general manager at Assembly Row, said the videos will also take a more traditional behind-the-scenes look at the development, including interviews with architects, placemakers and the construction team. One video may look at the new MBTA stop in Assembly Square.

Simpson said, "I'm really looking for the community feedback." If people want to see a video about a certain related topic, they'll try to make that video.

When Assembly Row opens, it will include stores like Brooks Brothers 346, Saks Off Fifth and American Eagle. It will also have restaurants, such as Legal C and Papagayo, an AMC movie complex that serves beer, and a LEGOLAND Discovery Center.

Joyner said, "We're probably in the 80 percent range in terms of leasing and letters of intent," when it comes to the retail space. Meanwhile, Avalon Bay has been marketing apartments, and office space is also under construction at Assembly Row.

Check out the first video here, and stay tuned for more.