By William Tauro

The City of Somerville held it’s wall breaking ceremony on this past Monday at the old incinerator and former transfer station on Linwood Street.
“We may be gathering to mark the tearing down of the transfer station, but we are celebrating the building of a new future for Brickbottom and InnerBelt,” said Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone. “In creating SomerVision, the city’s 20-Year Comprehensive Plan, community members designated Brickbottom/InnerBelt as a transformative area targeted for mixed-use, transit-oriented redevelopment that will provide an economic engine for our city. And with the transfer station coming down, the Green Line Extensioncoming in, and the grounding of McGrath under review, we are well on our way. Reclaiming this once and future thriving neighborhood will help us reach our shared SomerVision goals of creating 30,000 new jobs, new and affordable housing, and new commercial tax revenues to fund our services and schools.”

Waste Management’ trash transfer station operated out of the location until it was closed this past summer as part of the agreement with the city.
“We have an exceptional opportunity here to leverage two significant infrastructure projects—the Green Line Extension and the grounding of McGrath—to both revitalize this area as well as create new and vital links between our neighborhoods and also to our neighbors in Cambridge and Boston as well,” said Ward 2 Alderman Maryann Heuston. “I look forward to seeing a new, welcoming, flourishing neighborhood sprout from this landscape and to working with the community to make sure its transformation brings real value both to Ward 2 and our city as a whole,”

S&R Corporation Demolition out of Lowell is contracted to knock down part of the structure and will begin it’s first phase of the demolition on Monday.

Photo: Frankie Santagelo’s son Josh got to meet Herb Chambers at the former transfer station event.