Somerville Planning Board approves Assembly Row Hotel fourth-floor dining expansion

Planning Board · Meeting of March 5, 2026

Somerville Planning Board approves Assembly Row Hotel's fourth-floor dining and terrace addition at 360 Foley Street. The board voted 5-0 with one abstention to approve amendments to the Block 5 Design Guidelines and the existing PUD, then unanimously approved a companion special permit amendment, allowing Assembly Row Hotel LLC to add approximately 5,500 square feet of dining and event space above the existing ballroom and convert the current ground-floor breakfast area into conference rooms. Patrick McMahon of Federal Realty said the hotel's approved square footage rises from roughly 100,056 to 105,626 square feet, while the 158 guest rooms remain unchanged.

Hotel partner Leo Zares of Colwyn Hotels projected 10 to 15 new jobs tied to the expanded food-and-beverage program. Member Lynn Richards, the sole abstention on the first vote, challenged the applicants on whether conference space adequately meets Assembly Row's street-level vibrancy requirements, saying plainly, "I don't agree with their analysis."

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Source: the Planning Board meeting of March 5, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.