The Medford City Council’s Planning and Permitting Committee is reviewing a proposed update to the city’s Vacant Building Ordinance, aiming to reduce long-term commercial vacancies. Sponsors argue that such vacancies harm neighborhood vibrancy and stifle local business activity.
The City of Somerville saw a recent spike in overdoses, prompting the Somerville Police Department to publish an overdose warning on Jan.19. Five overdoses occurred on the weekend prior to the warning, three of which were fatal.
Elected officials in Medford and Somerville, as well as state leaders across Massachusetts, are ramping up efforts to curb the effects of Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s presence in the state.
The city of Medford restarted its rezoning project last month with a primary focus on rezoning Medford Square. It is the first proposal heard in the new City Council term, and the first since the city signed a contract extension with Innes Land Strategies Group — the consulting group that provides analysis and recommendations for the city’s rezoning.
Following over a year of deliberation, the Somerville School Construction Advisory Group delivered its final recommendation to the mayor for a new PK–8 school building, addressing the absence of the Winter Hill Community Innovation School. In June 2023, a piece of concrete collapsed from the ceiling of the Winter Hill School after prolonged maintenance issues, forcing it to close.
Organ transplant technology leader TransMedics, a medium-sized company that brings in hundreds of millions in revenue annually, recently announced it will be moving its headquarters to Somerville in 2028. Somerville anticipates the move will add 900 jobs and $75 million in tax revenue over the course of six years. The city of Somerville, along with the state of Massachusetts, provided TransMedics with tax breaks to encourage the move.
Copper Mill Development submitted an application to the state of Massachusetts on Dec. 22 seeking approval to build a 25-story, primarily residential, tower in Davis Square. Many residents have raised concerns about the limited time allotted for public comment on the development. In response, the Davis Square Neighborhood Council voted on Monday to urge the city to ask Copper Mill to withdraw the proposal and resubmit only once a neighborhood plan has been made.
Residents gathered at the Somerville and Medford branches of Citizens Bank on Saturday to protest the bank’s links to private prison companies that own and operate immigration detention centers under government contracts, including with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The protests were part of three dozen similar demonstrations taking place across the Northeast, organized by the de-ICE Citizens Bank Coalition. According to the coalition, Citizens Bank continues to be a major lender to private prison companies CoreCivic and The GEO Group. They added that other banks, including JPMorgan and Barclays, have distanced themselves from the prison companies.
Medford will enter a three-year contract with a new ambulance provider, Cataldo Ambulance Service, on Jan. 19, ending a 25-year agreement with Armstrong Ambulance. Mayor Breanna Lungo-Koehn ultimately decided to switch services due to contractual and performance concerns with Armstrong.
Following his swearing-in as mayor of Somerville on Jan. 3, members of Jake Wilson’s transition team say that his administration will prioritize community input and collaboration following months of outreach and preparation.
Medford Mayor Breanna Lungo-Koehn and a new City Council and School Committee were sworn in on Jan. 4 as the city prepares to move forward with its rezoning project and build a new Medford High School.
The announcement of a plan to move Medford’s trash pickup from weekly to every other week has sparked strong pushback from residents and officials, many of whom are demanding greater transparency from Mayor Breanna Lungo-Koehn.
Many in Somerville found themselves among the roughly 1.1 million Massachusetts residents who were left in limbo when a federal government shutdown delayed the distribution of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits. The federal program provides monthly assistance to low-income individuals and families to help them purchase groceries.
Somerville celebrated the unveiling of “Letters Rewoven” on Nov. 8, a new public artwork by local artist Anna Fubini at Lou Ann David Park. The piece was created through the combined efforts of community members, who wrote messages on scraps of paper that were turned into a pulp mixed with wildflower seeds. The mixture was then plastered onto the sculpture’s panels and will eventually grow into flowers. The installation was supported by the Somerville Arts Council and will remain on display until spring 2026.
The second round of Project: Pop-Up Medford will transform 348 Boston Ave. into a shared retail space for three small businesses from November 2025 to January 2026. The project — a collaboration between the City of Medford, Tufts University and retail incubator consulting firm UpNext — provides microenterprises with the opportunity to promote their work, try new business models and learn how to operate a retail storefront.
The Medford City Council again postponed a final decision on a proposed amendment to the city’s rezoning plan regarding the intersection of Salem and Park Streets in its Tuesday meeting. The amendment, supported by Mayor Breanna Lungo-Koehn, would reclassify the area as lower-density MX-1 rather than the current MX-2 designation.
Former Vice President Kamala Harris held a talk in Medford’s Chevalier Theatre on Saturday as part of her “107 Days” book tour.
The Somerville Special Education Parent Advisory Council released a report in September outlining significant concerns within Somerville Public Schools’ special education programming.
The Somerville City Council unanimously passed a resolution on Oct. 23 in support of the DRIVE Act, a statewide initiative that would allocate $200 million in funding for public colleges and universities throughout Massachusetts.
At a Medford School Committee meeting on Oct. 20, Interim Superintendent Dr. Suzanne Galusi presented her transition and entry findings report, highlighting the need for greater consistency — particularly regarding bureaucratic structures, greater coherence and a deeper sense of belonging across the district. Her findings emphasize the need for Medford Public Schools to strive for these goals as it navigates a leadership transition, facility needs and a major strategic planning process already underway.
