Meet the new mascot for Somerville's Assembly Row development

No, that googly-eyed Boston Terrier you’ve seen tearing through a billboard while driving past the Somerville exit on I-93 isn’t an advertisement for the Westminster Dog Show, it’s the new mascot for the major overhaul underway at Assembly Square.

The image, illustrated by artist Chris Lyons, was a must-have when seeking an identifiable icon for the Assembly Row redevelopment, according to marketing director Andrea Simpson, who represents the developer, Federal Realty Investment Trust.

“We wanted to begin introducing her, and the project, in a fun and quirky way and thought that simply placing her up there, giving her center stage, might cause some drivers to wonder … what is that?” she said in an email. “We have finished all of our infrastructure across the whole site, are in the planning stages for our ground breaking ceremony [in April] and recently announced the AMC [movie theater] lease signing – momentum is great. We will begin to see the building foundations pour in the next 6-7 weeks.”

Lyons said his biggest challenge was to illustrate the dog in a way that made him smile.

“Boston Terriers are adorable, but they have a very distinctive look: googly eyes and a drooly, frowning face,” he said in an email. “My biggest challenge was to correct his googly eyes and make him, in a very subtle and natural way, smile. Judging from all the emails we’ve received, I think we got it right.”

On Monday, the 20-by-50 foot billboard – printed by Somerville business Flagraphics – was revamped with the Assembly Row logo and website.

“That [space] used to be the theater’s board announcing movies and times,” said Flagraphics owner and Somerville Alderman Tony Lafuente, of the former Loews theater. “Technology has made this so easy to do these days – people are taking advantage of it.”

Simpson said people would start seeing major movement at Assembly Square this spring, with residential construction kicking off, and eventual retail and dining options to be announced later this year.

In October, a $29,229,184 contract was awarded to build a new Orange Line station, slated to break ground this spring and open in 2014.

“It’s kind of like everything is starting to happen,” she said. “Somebody hit the ‘go’ button.”