Pressley Advances $2.5M For Somerville Pump Station, Art Farm

SOMERVILLE, MA — Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley on Thursday announced the inclusion of $2.5 million in federal community project funding for Somerville's Poplar Street Pump Station and Art Farm Project in the House Interior, Environment and Related Agencies Appropriations bill.

The bill is expected to pass the U.S. House this week. Pressley has long advocated for funding the project, which will provide critical stormwater climate change management infrastructure below ground, as well as an open community space and arts facilities designed to foster community engagement, learning and creativity.

Funding will also help relieve flooding in the city, prepare for climate change, reduce Combined Sewer Overflows in the region and alleviate capacity constraints in the regional combined sewer system, Pressley's office said.

"This critical funding will help the Somerville community address systemic inequities in its water infrastructure, prepare for the impacts of climate change, and create space for joy and creativity," Pressley said in a statement. "I am deeply grateful to Mayor Curtatone and our advocates for their partnership throughout this process, and look forward to seeing this project become a key resource for the community."

This project is among 10 Community Project Funding requests submitted by Pressley to the Appropriations Committee. This month, the congresswoman announced the advancement of federal funding for community projects in Randolph and Milton, Cambridge, Boston, as well as Chelsea and Everett.

The inclusion of this funding in the FY22 House Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill is the first step in the Congressional appropriations process.

"Our community applauds Congresswoman Pressley for successfully advancing critical sewer and drainage investments in Somerville," Mayor Joseph Curtatone said in a statement. "The Congresswoman’s leadership on this funding will fundamentally change how stormwater is managed in Somerville, reducing flooding, mitigating Combined Sewer Overflows, and providing capacity in regional infrastructure needed to facilitate transformative development in Union Square."