Ikea Files Formal Protest Over Zoning Proposals for Assembly Square

SOMERVILLE, MA-Ikea, the Swedish furniture company, filed a formalprotest against the three zoning proposals for Assembly Square beingconsidered by the Board of Aldermen here. Alderman-at-Large DeniseProvost, the Mystic View Task Force, a citizen activist group, and themayor filed the proposals.

Ikea did not return calls by press time, but in a released statement,Michael McDonald, the company’s spokesperson, said, “The three proposalswould significantly impede our ability to develop our own property forthe purpose of constructing an Ikea store in Somerville.” Ikea hasalready spent millions of dollars to purchase and clean up the site andthe company accuses the city of changing the rules for building. MayorDorothy Kelly Gay recently rejected Ikea’s plans for its site becauseits plan did not contain enough mixed-use development and the footprintof the store was too large.

At 145 acres, Assembly Square is considered the last site for commercialconstruction here. The zoning proposals attempt to give the city morecontrol over development of the site by imposing design guidelines forbuildings, designating some open space and limiting block sizes. Butbecause Ikea owns more than 20% of the property at Assembly Square, thecompany can lodge a formal protest so that for any of the zoningproposals to become law, at least nine of the 11 aldermen have toapprove it.