Sign up for the Today newsletter
Get everything you need to know to start your day, delivered right to your inbox every morning.
After nearly 20 years, Somerville’s abandoned Star Market finally comes down
Residents gathered Saturday to watch the demolition of a long-vacant grocery store, clearing the way for new housing and retail.
Cheers broke out along Broadway on Saturday as a forklift slowly dug into the long-abandoned Star Market, marking the end of an eyesore that had loomed over Somerville’s Winter Hill neighborhood for nearly two decades.
Social media posts show residents gathered outside Winter Hill Brewing Company to watch the building’s demolition, capturing the moment on video as the structure finally began to come down.
“Star Market demolition Party!” wrote Erika Uyterhoeven, a state representative who covers part of Somerville, in her post.
Someverille Councilor Jesse Clingan, before the demolition, posted on Instagram that residents would see crews on site over the next several days performing pre-demolition abatement work ahead of the complete demolition, which he said the city has “been waiting on for far too long.”
Advertisement:
He noted that the “beer starts flowing at 11, so you can raise a pint to the end of the most persistent eyesores in Somerville and toast to what’s next for Winter Hill.”
The grocery store closed in 2008, leaving behind a boarded-up shell that became a magnet for graffiti and an empty parking lot fenced along one of the city’s main thoroughfares.
The storefront became famous over the summer, when a local artist filled in the building’s faded lettering to spell “RAT,” with a detailed image of a rat filling in the final letter.
Advertisement:
The Star Market demolition clears the way for a two-building residential and commercial complex, a project residents hope will bring new life to a long-overlooked stretch of the neighborhood.
“It was a long time coming, but that just made it sweeter to celebrate the start of demolition of the old Star Market,” wrote Somerville Mayor-elect Jake Wilson on Instagram. “After 17 years of a large vacant building, we’ll soon see a new six-story multi-use development spring up there with 136 affordable rental units.”
Mark Development, in partnership with Beacon Communities and RISE Together, is building 288 rental units and nearly 14,000 square feet of ground-floor retail space. The development will span Broadway to Sewall Street, preserving existing businesses and housing.
The project will also include 3,000 square feet of community space, an additional 765 square feet of arts and creative enterprise space, and a new 15,000-square-foot plaza and park.
As one longtime resident commented on Instagram, “This was worth the wait!”
To comment, please create a screen name in your profile
To comment, please verify your email address
Conversation
This discussion has ended. Please join elsewhere on Boston.com