The City of Watertown has begun the next phase of implementing the Watertown Square Area Plan. As the Demonstration Project, Revitalization Plan, and Engineering Design begin, we are here to get you caught up on where we are and what to expect next.
Implementing a Vision
After the Watertown City Council's endorsement of the Watertown Square Area Plan in July 2024, the City began the long process of implementing the plan's vision. To get a refresher the Plan's vision, below are some "quick hits" highlights.
Update the zoning in and around the Square with the goal of creating a "sense of place" and vibrancy downtown.
Implement a tiered approach to zoning, starting with the tallest maximum heights at the center of the Square (5+ stories), all the way to the shortest maximum building heights as it transitions to the neighborhoods that surround the Square (2+ stories).
Promote zoning for housing production in Watertown's downtown district.
Require ground floor retail at the center district of the Square, with upper stories for housing and/or office space.
Redesign the Watertown Square intersection to create a 4-way intersection that reduces wait times and congestion points through the Square.
Increase open space by 3.4 acres that is currently roadway pavement (adding to the the Delta, between streets, and along the Charles River).
Widen sidewalks and add additional parallel parking to benefit our businesses and increase safety for pedestrians.
What Implementation Steps Have Been Completed?
Approving New Watertown Square Zoning
The first implementation step taken by the City was to approve new zoning. Using the recommended zoning in the Watertown Square Area Plan as a starting point, the Department of Community Development and Planning drafted new zoning for the Planning Board and City Council to review. After recommending changes and robust discussion, new, compliant zoning was passed by the City Council in November 2024. In addition to meeting the goals of the Area Plan, the new zoning ensured that Watertown was compliant with the MBTA Communities Law, which required 177 Cities and Towns, including Watertown, to establish "at least one district of reasonable size in which multi-family housing is permitted as of right." The purpose of the law is to allow for the opportunity to produce new housing by-right, and doing so in areas near transit.
Preparing for the Next Implementation Phase
Throughout 2025, the City of Watertown's Department of Community Development and Planning was preparing for the next steps of implementing the plan's vision - engaging consultant teams to complete a Revitalization Plan and to prepare detailed construction documents for the roadway realignment through the competitive bidding process. For both projects, consultant firms were selected, which leads us to today.
Revitalization & Streetscape Design
Two Steps Towards a Vision
The City has recently begun two separate implementation steps to further bring to life the vision for Watertown Square: a Revitalization Plan and a streetscape design.
These two projects are separate, but the City is moving them forward at the same time on parallel tracks to ensure they can continue to inform each other throughout the development and design of each plan.
Beginning the Revitalization Plan
Starting with the Revitalization Plan, after a competitive bid process, the City selected Innes Land Strategies to complete this effort for Watertown Square. A Revitalization Plan is a legal process, regulated by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, that communities undertake to investigate an area and determine the development potential of parcels and the steps required to implement the redevelopment vision. These plans are done by cities and towns to address community driven goals like housing, economic development, and the environment. The outcomes of these plans are a set of strategies of how and where to invest public funds in order to promote the private development and growth envisioned by the town or city through the planning process
The initial step of completing this Plan is to do a "Demonstration Project". A Demonstration Project aims to examine the potential for redevelopment in a small subset of parcels (or areas of land) and explore what is feasible and what barriers to development exist. To put simply, a Demonstration Project is a Revitalization Plan on a much smaller scale before Innes Land Strategies and the City complete the Revitalization Plan for the entire Watertown Square Area. The demonstration project is expected to continue through the early months of 2026, with the Revitalization Plan expected to extend throughout 2026.
Innes Land Strategies presented to the Watertown City Council in the Fall 2025 an introduction to this process, the role of those involved, and much more. Watch that and much more at the link below!
Streetscape Design
At the same time as the Revitalization Plan, the engineering work to develop a finalized streetscape design has begun. This streetscape design will develop detailed roadway drawings based on the "four corners" plan endorsed in the Watertown Square Area Plan (below). Through the competitive bidding process, the City has hired Bowman Consulting Group to develop these design documents. Throughout this process you may hear or read this work being referred to as a "streetscape design" or "engineering design", however they are referring to the same project.
This is a very technical process that designs everything from the traffic network to the curb cuts. The outcome of this process will be a set of construction documents that will allow the City to bring the four corners design to life.
This work is expected to take up to 24 months, which will produce a 100% completed detailed design for the future roadway, sidewalks, streets, traffic network, bike and bus lanes, and a detailed outline of the utilities that exist underground. Roadway construction cannot begin until the engineering design is completed and funding sources are identified.
Listen to the Watertown Square Improvements Podcast!
Project Manager and Director of Community Design, Erika Oliver Jerram co-hosts with Community Engagement Specialist, Tyler Cote to discuss the implementation of the Watertown Square Area Plan. Listen today and stay tuned for future episodes with other members of the City team, Innes Land Strategies, and more!