A map showing the areas where the proposed I-Cubed projects would be located.
The public is invited to a Special Town Council Meeting to discuss a set of improvements proposed jointly by the Town and Athenahealth.
The meeting will be held on Thursday, June 29 at 6 p.m. in the Council Chambers in Town Hall, 149 Main St., Watertown.
The proposed work would be part of the I-Cubed program, in which a developer – in this case Athenahealth – bonds money from the state to pay for the infrastructure and teams with public entities – the Town of Watertown and the Department of Conservation and Recreation – to do the improvements.
The bonds will be paid by the increased tax revenue going to the state from Athenahealth’s campus expansion and the additional jobs it will create. None of the money can be spent on Athenahealth’s property.
The suite of improvements to the roadways, parks, and paths near the company based in the Arsenal on the Charles complex were discussed at a meeting in May.
Some at the meeting complained of the lack of public input and even input from the Town Council, before the list of projects was chosen.
The projects include:
- $7.5 million – Arsenal Street: roadway and sidewalk improvements, upgraded traffic lights and timing
- $900,000 – Sewer improvements on North Beacon Street and Greenough Boulevard
- $6.3 million – Roadway improvements to North Beacon, a cycling and pedestrian path, signal upgrades
- $1.7 million – Watertown Square repaving, sidewalk improvements, upgrades to traffic, pedestrian signals and timing, and realigning Charles River Road
- $700,000 – Completing the improvements of the Watertown Riverfront Park on the north bank of the Charles River
- $1.7 million – Greenough Boulevard: bicycle and pedestrian path upgrades, improvements to the roadway and signal upgrades (including a traffic light at Greenough and North Beacon)
- $2.7 million – Squibnocket Park: adding a canoe/kayak launch, a boardwalk and river overlook, and landscaping
- $400,000 – School Street/Dexter Avenue/Walnut Street: sight-line improvements and curb realignments
- $400,000 – Arsenal Park: extension of the Community Path through the park
- $2.7 million – Drainage and parking improvement on Talcott Avenue near the Commander’s Mansion, cosmetic improvements to the Mansion and grounds and realignment of Talcott Avenue, and possibly linking it to either North Beacon or Greenough
See more details in the following links:
Infrastructure Investment Incentive (“I-Cubed”) Economic Development Proposal: http://www.watertown-ma.gov/
I-Cubed Exhibits: http://www.watertown-ma.gov/