by Somerville’s shuttered Star Market recently underwent a Banksy-style makeover that honors the city’s scuttling neighbors.
Since its closure in 2008, the Star Market, located at 299 Broadway in Somerville’s Winter Hill area, has been empty. A developer acquired the land in 2023 with plans to construct two six-story apartment complexes and ground-level retail space.
However, a local artist seems to alter the abandoned property on their own without providing any updates on progress.
In order to spell RAT, the artist filled in the building’s already faded lettering. But next to the last T, where a finely detailed picture of a rat seems to be filling in the last letter, their actual vision came to life.
The rat comes with a paint roller, work overalls, and a cap. Days prior to the Rat-Capital Allston-Brighton sRat City Arts Festival, the artwork was uploaded on Reddit over the weekend.
The grocery store was totally enclosed by a chain-link fence, and as of Sunday, all of the windows were boarded up. A sign promoting the new development near the bus stop points to a website without a construction timeline.
A request for comment regarding the neighborhood’s newest rat on Sunday night was not answered by Somerville police.
Molly Farrar works for Boston.com as a general assignment reporter, covering topics such as politics, crime, and education.
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