The Mystic River Bridge Project faces further delays, not starting construction until late 2026. Meanwhile, in Worcester, an adaptive reuse project at 204 Main Street begins to turn a vacant building into housing and retail spaces, supporting the city's downtown revitalization efforts.
Beam Architects render
A rendering of the bridge, leading to the Encore Casino.
The Boston area might need to wait at least five more years for one of its highest-priority infrastructure projects to become a reality.
StreetsblogMASS reported June 3, 2025, that a new Massachusetts capital budget for fiscal years 2026 through 2030 indicates that construction on the long-awaited Mystic River bicycle and pedestrian bridge between Somerville and Everett will not begin until late 2026 or 2027, and that the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) does not expect to complete the project until the early 2030s.
The proposed bridge would fix a major gap in the regional walking and biking network by extending the Northern Strand Trail from where it currently ends next to the Encore Casino in Everett and bringing it across the river to the Assembly Square district and its Orange Line rapid transit line, operated by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA), in Somerville.
The project was originally conceived as a way to connect the casino, first opened in June 2019, to the Orange Line, which has an Assembly station directly across the river to the west, but more than a mile away by the fastest currently-available walking route over the Alford Street Bridge.
Released in May 2025, MassDOT's latest 5-year capital plan includes $69.8 million for the bridge project. But the plan also indicates that the agency has no plans to spend any of that money until fiscal year 2027.
In addition, the proposal suggests that funding the new bike and pedestrian bridge will continue after fiscal year 2030 ends on June 30, 2031.
A MassDOT spokesperson confirmed for StreetsblogMASS on June 2, 2025, that "construction is not scheduled to be completed until after 2030."
Jay Monty, the city of Everett's director of transportation and mobility, expressed some hope that MassDOT could get the project built on a faster timeline.
In addition, he stressed that the city's plans to help address the regional housing shortage are extremely reliant on ambitious public transit and infrastructure improvements, including the bridge over the Mystic River.
"If the Kraft Group starts permitting [a new soccer stadium] tomorrow, that's going to be three years out. The tank farm redevelopment is still three to five years out," Monty told StreetsblogMASS on June 3, 2025. "So, the timelines are not drastically far apart from MassDOT's, but as we know, timelines often slip and there's a need for some assurance that that won't continue happening."
Indeed, the effort to develop the Mystic Bridge has so far been a series of promises and delays.
In October 2021, then-Gov. Charlie Baker held a press conference at the Encore Casino to promise officials in Everett and Somerville that "we are going to fund this project and make it happen."
Two years later, officials from the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), which was managing the Mystic Bridge project at the time, told StreetsblogMASS that the span would be under contract "at the end of the calendar year."
And just one month ago, MassDOT, which had subsequently taken over the long-delayed project's management from DCR, abruptly cancelled and postponed a public hearing for the project. It has since been rescheduled for Tuesday, June 24, 2025.
Redevelopment of 204 Main Street in Worcester Under Way
A transformative adaptive reuse project in Worcester, Mass. will convert a long-vacant former office building into 20 units of high-quality, moderate-income housing and nearly 3,000 sq. ft. of activated retail space.
The Menkiti Group, a mission-driven, Black-owned integrated real estate services company, was joined on June 3, 2025, by Ed Augustus, secretary of the Massachusetts Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities, Worcester City Manager Eric D. Batista, and other state and local leaders to celebrate the groundbreaking of 204 Main Street — also known as the historic Kane Building.
The redevelopment supports Worcester's long-term vision for a vibrant, inclusive downtown by delivering critically needed workforce housing while breathing new life into a historic property, according to PR Newswire.
Located just steps from the courthouse, public transit, restaurants and small businesses, the property will continue to contribute to a thriving, walkable Main Street corridor.
"204 Main Street reflects the kind of thoughtful, community-centered investment we believe in," said Bo Menkiti, founder and CEO of The Menkiti Group. "By bringing new housing and retail space to an underutilized building, we're advancing the city's vision for a stronger, more connected downtown."
In addition to workforce housing, the 204 Main Street project will feature a redesigned space for the Garden Fresh Courthouse Café and an additional retail storefront along Main Street, enhancing street-level activation and creating new opportunities for local entrepreneurs.
"This project is exactly the kind of smart, community-centered development we need in downtowns across the Commonwealth," Augustus said. "By transforming the historic Kane Building into new workforce housing and vibrant retail space, The Menkiti Group is not only preserving a piece of Worcester's past but helping to build its future. The Healey-Driscoll Administration is proud to have contributed $2.5 million dollars in Housing Development Incentive Program tax credits to help make this project a reality."
The Worcester project is eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places and has qualified for both federal and state Historic Tax Credits. It also received a $650,000 grant from MassDevelopment's Underutilized Properties Program, a Tax Increment Exemption (TIE) from the city of Worcester and an award from the Commonwealth's Housing Development Incentive Program (HDIP).
Additional financing for the project includes an investment from the Healthy Neighborhoods Equity Fund, a joint initiative of the Massachusetts Housing Investment Corporation (MHIC) and the Conservation Law Foundation, supporting development that advances health equity, walkability and inclusive economic growth. MHIC also provided construction debt for the project.
The design team heading up 204 Main Street is led by Gregory J. O'Connor Associates Architects, working in collaboration with JMR Designs (mechanical), Shepherd Engineering (electrical), Graves Engineering (civil) and Johnson Structural Engineering.
Other key team members include Epsilon Associates (historic consultant), Campbell Environmental (a licensed site professional) and Klein Hornig LLP (general counsel).
The Menkiti Group has partnered with D.F. Pray, a Seekonk, Mass., general contractor, to execute the building's rehabilitation and with Ashland, Mass.'s Scalora Consulting Group serving as the owner's representative throughout the construction.
Construction is now under way on 204 Main Street, with completion anticipated in 2026.
Headquartered in Washington, D.C., with an office in Worcester, The Menkiti Group's latest project is part of a growing portfolio of catalytic projects in the Massachusetts city, including the award-winning Chatham Lofts at 6 Chatham St., 401 Main St. and 554 Main St.
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