Community Begins To Share Vision for Sullivan Square

Charlestown residents were asked their thoughts on the development of parks and other open space in the area once Rutherford Avenue is reconstructed.

Though the completion of the Rutherford Avenue and Sullivan Square roadway project is possibly a decade away, the city is asking Charlestown residents to begin looking at what they want the land around the new corridor to look like. Ted Schwartzberg, a neighborhood planner with the Boston Redevelopment Authority, led a meeting at the Schrafft’s Center cafeteria Thursday night that kicked off the “Sullivan Square Disposition Study” process—an approximately eight-month review of what the community would like to see done with new parcels created by the roadway project as well as an overall vision of the finished corridor. The BRA in March awarded the disposition study to consultant team Crosby Schlessinger Smallridge, and the process will …

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BRA To Discuss Sullivan Square Planning Process

Representatives from several city departments will attend a meeting hosted by the Charlestown Neighborhood Council on Wednesday, April 17.

The Charlestown Neighborhood Council is asking the Boston Redevelopment Authority to shed light on its process for choosing a planning consultant for the upgrade of Sullivan Square. The CNC has scheduled a meeting with the BRA for this purpose on Wednesday, April 17 at 7 p.m. at the Knights of Columbus Hall. At the meeting, representatives from the BRA Economic Development Department will be available to answer questions about the BRA land disposition process related to community review and input. And a representative from the Department of Neighborhood Development will discuss the City Affordable Housing development requirements and process, according to a meeting notice submitted by CNC Development Committee chairman Mark Rosenshein. …

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MBTA: Serious Crime Down, Bike Thefts Up

Most incidents were down last year, but bike thefts and aggravated assaults increased.

Crime is mostly down on the MBTA with a few exceptions, according to figures released Tuesday. Serious crime—as defined by the FBI as homicide, rape, aggravated assaults, robbery, auto theft, burglary and arson—went down 11 percent in 2012, MBTA Transit Police Chief Paul MacMillan said in a statement. Violent crime, which includes robbery, rape and aggravated assaults, was down 6 percent and there were no homicides on the MBTA last year. There was also a 22 percent drop in robberies, and property crimes, including larceny and theft, went down 13 percent, according to the figures. Aggravated assaults increased over the period, but MacMillan said an analysis of these incidents revealed no pattern. According to the figures, two-thirds of all …

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It's Official: IKEA Not Coming to Nearby Somerville

The Swedish furniture giant has pulled plans for its store in Assembly Square.

IKEA has officially decided not to build a store in Somerville's Assembly Square. In a letter addressed to Somerville Mayor Joseph Curtatone, the furniture giant informed the city Thursday that it would not proceed with plans for a Somerville location near Charlestown's Sullivan Square. (You can read the letter to the right.) "We have made the very difficult decision not to pursue the construction of a Somerville store," the letter reads. Plans for the Somerville store started about 15 years ago, but Thursday's news did not come as a surprise. The Swedish company had previously stated its store in Stoughton took a lot of pressure off needing to build one in Somerville. In the letter to Curtatone, Doug Greenholz, U.S. real estate manager …

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Man Wanted on Stabbing Charge Arrested At Sullivan Square

Christopher Linton is charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.

A man wanted in connection to a stabbing earlier in May was arrested Thursday at Sullivan Square. Christopher Linton, 18, of 2 Sanger St. was wanted on a charge of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon for allegedly stabbing a person he lived with on May 7 with a knife, according to a press release from police Lt. Paul Covino. Police believe Linton was aware of the warrant and had been staying in Boston to avoid arrest since the incident, the press release said. But about 1 p.m. Thursday, Medford police Sgt. James Grubb spotted Linton boarding a 101 bus in South Medford bound for Sullivan Station in Charlestown, the press release said. Officers followed the bus to Charlestown and caught up to Linton before he left the station's gated…

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Charlestown News Summary: Teacher Honored; Rutherford Ave. Update

Here are some of the top stories from the past week in Charlestown.

We know it’s easy to fall behind on the news. If you have this week, here are five stories we think you should take a look at. 1.) RUTHERFORD AVENUE UPDATE: The latest proposal to redesign this area near Sullivan Square was presented to the public before the Charlestown Neighborhood Council. But judging from the reactions of the crowd, the new plan does little to address concerns about traffic diverting through the middle of the neighborhood. 2.) CHARLESTOWN HIGH TEACHER HONORED: Charlestown High teacher Amy Piacitelli was one of four teachers in the country to get a call from US 'educator-in-chief' Arne Duncan. 3.) SOVEREIGN BANK ROBBED: The bank on Rutherford Avenue was robbed on Tuesday. 4.) THE CHARLESTOWN SEMINARY: OK, so this is old …

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Could Assembly Square Outlets Affect Rutherford Ave Redesign?

The Neighborhood Council has asked the city to look at whether the outlet store proposal will change traffic projections for the Rutherford Ave project.

Last week the Globe reported that dozens of outlet stores are on the horizon for Assembly Row -- a new development for the massive retail project in Somerville that could have an impact on the city's plans for redesigning Sullivan Square and Rutherford Avenue. Mark Rosenshein, who heads up the development committee for the Charlestown Neighborhood Council, said he called city planners as soon as he read about the outlet store proposal. "We know they've planned for a lot of retail all along, Rosenshein said. "But this is different retail. I want to know what the city's consultants can share with us," I'm sure [they] can tell us a regular retail store generates x number of cars per hour, but an outlet store generates x+y, for example." In …

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Assembly Square Development to Bring Outlet Stores to Area

Developers at Assembly Row plan to open dozens of outlet stores at the massive Somerville project.

5 Things

Council to Host Rutherford Ave Redesign Meeting Tonight

Transportation officials will discuss ways to improve future traffic flow on Rutherford Avenue and in Sullivan Square.

Today is Tuesday, Oct. 18. Here are five things you need to know today. 1. If you're one of the many people who turned out for that big meeting back in May about the Rutherford Avenue/Sullivan Square redesign, you might be interested in a meeting tonight: A committee of the Charlestown Neighborhood Council and officials from the city's transportation department (which is managing the project) will meet at 7 p.m. at the Knights. Here's more info on the agenda. 2. About the Neighborhood Council: elections are coming up for Charlestown's own advisory board to the mayor. If you're interested in representing your corner of the neighborhood, check this out. And start collecting signatures from your neighbors. 3. Did anyone see Charlestown's own …

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BostonMaggie

12:43 am on Wednesday, October 19, 2011

I attended tonight's meeting of the CNC regarding the traffic plan for Sullivan Square/Rutherford Ave. First, let me say it was my first meeting on the subject and I know I have missed many. But, that said, I was disturbed. More Townies need to inform themselves on this subject and get to future meetings.   more ›