Artists worried about Somerville’s disappearing creative space were the strongest voices at a Tuesday hearing about a 10-year, 1.6 million-square-foot expansion of the Somernova tech and business campus, a project with a last known price tag of $3.3 billion.
The project, in Ward 2 along Somerville Avenue between Porter and Union squares, is in a public comment period until Aug. 30, so no votes were taken at the joint hearing of the Planning Board and City Council’s Land Use Committee.
Owner Rafi Properties wants to add an overlay zoning district allowing more kinds of tenants than are permitted by the land’s current fabrication-district zoning – a category put in place just five years ago.
Many artists are not happy about this, especially those at Milk Row Studios, a former industrial site next to Somernova. It is filled with small culture-focused businesses “thanks to the fact that it is affordable and the zoning since 2019 has so far kept us relatively safe from displacement,” said Ethan Dussault, a New Alliance Audio producer, volunteer with the Art Stays Here group and member of the the Union Square Neighborhood Council’s Somernova community-benefits negotiating team. “We are now seeing a true test of our city’s dedication to an independent, from-the-streets arts and creative economy.”
The current Somernova proposal, taking feedback on a previous version into account, is smaller overall and does not cut out as much art space. The new proposal asks less height on construction and has less parking, while adding 100 housing units, of which 20 will be kept as affordable. It will also include a music rehearsal space, something many community members asked for, as well as civic space and two parks.
“We know how challenging it is to create art space and keep art space in the city,” said Russell Preston, representing Rafi.
At the same time, the project includes tech space, which is what requires the new zoning overlay.
Rafi hopes to attract climate and “tough tech” firms, which need bigger floor plates than exists in bio and life science labs being built in Somerville. The existing buildings on the Somernova parcel are former factory buildings that already have high ceilings and are more suitable for this kind of manufacturing and research, and new buildings will be designed to cater to this industry.
Fears from artists and neighbors
Artist Jenn Harrington listed the many creative spaces in Somerville that have closed in recent years and said. “It’s massively disappointing to see Somernova’s proposal and to know that they think 25,000 square feet of affordable art space is even close to enough.”
“We understand we will be displaced by the current plan,” said artist Charles Martin, who works out of Milk Row Studios. “Please do not make this choice without acknowledging the effect on our community. It’s a choice between two futures for someone, please offer the dignity to tell us the truth about what is actually happening. Please discuss the impact with these developers, and not intent. They discussed a campus that’s not an integrated part of Somerville, that is a separate way for them to make money. They discussed making it beneficial to the City of Somerville – it’s beneficial to them, and that’s their primary interest.”
“We love our building. It may be old and crusty, but we are there and we want to stay,” said Audrey Ryan, who has been at Milk Row Studios for 20 years. She also expressed concern about a decade of construction noise and dust.
Ronn Friedlander, the owner of Aeronaut Brewing, spoke about being displaced during construction. “Without concrete binding agreements that guarantee our tenancy under viable economic terms, our future here remains uncertain,” he said, asking the committee to consider current tenants.
Some abutters aren’t happy either. Camille Stubbe, who lives on Tyler Street, said the project is still too tall. “This is not one building. It surrounds an entire neighborhood and encapsulates this entire neighborhood in shadow,” she said.
More housing and kid space
The session also heard voices in favor of the project.
Brian Doherty, General Agent of the Greater Boston Building Trades Union, supports it as providing good jobs to workers, and he sees the developer as willing to work with labor. Ryan Colon of the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades also expressed support.
David Tatarakis, who lives on Gilman Street, said he supports the new proposal, particularly due to the reduced number of parking spaces and the addition of housing. Kelsey Lamp agreed.
“I love living here, but I’m worried about my ability to stay in Somerville. It will add incredibly needed housing stock to the city,” Lamp said. “Given how tightly packed Somerville is, the only place to go is up.” Peter Kim-Santos said he thinks the buildings should be taller, which would allow for more housing and for more artist space.
Tracey Stearns, executive director of the Mystic Learning Center, said the project would be good for Somerville’s youth, as it would add significant additional room for them. “The lack of space for kids to have safe space – they have nothing left, it’s nothing like when I was in my teens,” she said. Michael Chu, a Somerville parent with three kids, also expressed his support and noted financial support Somernova has already given to youth programming.
After the meeting, Dussault talked about how New Alliance had already relocated twice after losing spaces in Boston’s Fenway and Cambridge’s Central Square area, when a developer bought the iconic EMF building.
“In 2005, 2006, there was always another building,” Dussault said, pausing a Thursday recording session with Peter Trainor of The Ghouls – winner of the year’s Rock N Roll Rumble. If Milk Row is lost, it’s no longer clear where New Alliance would go. “Now we’re pushed out to the edge,” Dussault said. “We’ve run out of land.”
A stronger
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It’s ironic to hear artists complaining about negative impacts on the “community” while opposing a project that will create jobs, much-needed housing, and a community space for children.
When they say it’s bad for the community, they seem to mean it’s bad for them.