Musicians’ concerns join debate over tower proposed to add 500 homes to Davis Square

Local musicians joined the conversation on a planned 25-story housing redevelopment in Davis Square on Wednesday to explain how closing The Burren temporarily for construction would hurt the arts community. Uncertainty about the future of the Irish bar, which is known for its nightly live music, adds to the tension between the need for more housing and worries that the residential tower will detract from the quality of the Square.

Developer Copper Mill has said that, unlike in earlier iterations of the project, The Burren will not be able to stay open during an estimated two years of construction. The work will renovate retail and build housing overhead on what is now a row of single-story structures on Elm Street from The Burren down to Dragon Pizza on Grove Street.

At a community meeting, Copper Mill chief executive Andrew Flynn said the company is in talks with The Burren and Dragon Pizza to reopen after construction with the same rental price.

The McKinnon’s Meat Market grocery store, Kung Fu Tea and restaurant Martsa on Elm have declined to return if the project moves forward. Instead, the developer plans to additionally lease to a bicycle bar, a butcher shop, a wine bar and a bookstore, though plans are in flux.

Musicians said a temporary closing of The Burren would deal a serious blow, even as its owners open another Irish bar, McCarthy’s, a half-mile away in Porter Square.

“How do you expect us to be able to afford rent if we are supposed to sit on our hands for two years when there is no safety net for freelance musicians?” one meeting attendee said. 

Though McCarthy’s – a two-story business with a small music club and bar, Toad, attached – has yet to open at 1920 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, about a half-mile from The Burren, musicians said it wouldn’t make up for The Burren closing. Questions about an opening date and whether McCarthy’s and Toad can pick up where The Burren leaves off were directed at co-owner Tommy McCarthy in voicemails, but he has not responded.

Some at the Wednesday meeting said the developer should consider paying musicians for missed wages should the project move forward.

Distrust

Other residents who don’t depend on The Burren for income are also worried.

“If I had to pick one thing that’s the anchor of Davis, it would be The Burren,” said Nick Mellis, an urban planner and Davis Square resident, after the meeting.

Carla DeLellis, who owns four storefronts in Davis Square and ran the now-closed Johnny D’s restaurant and music club, pointed out that there is no guarantee of The Burren’s return.

“A developer is going to tell you everything you want to hear. But the reality is, who knows what happens two years down the road?” DeLellis said. “Taking away The Burren is going to have future repercussions. Those businesses should not be put at risk for not returning.”

Regardless of the project moving forward, The Burren’s lease expires in August, which Flynn described as a “catalyst for discussion.” He referred to code compliance costs as being inhibitive for other vendors to take up the storefronts on that stretch, leading to the possibility of the building being “wound down anyway” over the next few years if the redevelopment doesn’t happen.

The structures are now more than a century old, according the city assessor’s database. The stretch of storefronts went up in 1920. 

Need for housing

Some residents called a proposed 500-unit, 25-story building a “monstrosity” that would stand out too much in a square of mostly one- to three-story buildings. To others, the residential tower would provide much-needed housing to Somerville without affecting more lots and businesses.

As proposed, it would provide 400 market-rate units – which some housing economists say will help lower area rents – as well as 100 inclusionary units below market rate, in line with Somerville’s requirements. Somerville lists increasing housing supply and modernization of units as strategies to mitigate a housing crisis, according to the citywide plan SomerVision 2040. Residents made frequent comparisons to Prospect Union Square, a recently built 450-unit, 25-story building in another part of the city that had primarily lower-slung structures.

The development would also be near the Davis Square red line station, which supporters say is a perfect location to build a residential tower. Encouraging “transit-oriented development” has been one of Massachusetts’ policy strategies for addressing housing, transportation and climate issues.

“A one-story building in Davis Square, a transit hub, is just not a good use of our land,” councilor at-large Jake Wilson said. “How do we make sure we’re using our land without ruining the fabric of the community?”

The city is not yet formally involved in the process, though several councilors attended the meeting, and Tom Galligani, the city’s director of economic development, emphasized that his department will provide strategies to “figure out how we get to where we want to go.”

“Rubik’s cube” of interests

Reconciling the interests of pro-housing residents, musicians and neighbors worried about the building’s height has proven to be a “Rubik’s cube,” in Flynn’s words.

Flynn insists that 500 is the “inflection point” of units to accommodate union construction labor, inclusionary homes and the two retail storefronts to be provided at no charge to the city for its use, all of which drive up the costs of construction – though his claim was met with skepticism. In an interview, Flynn committed to bringing more justification for the necessity of 500 units to the next community meeting.

In the meantime, some residents involved in the Davis Square Neighborhood Council, which has taken public notes on these meetings, say they don’t want fears around The Burren to shut down the project. (The council is in its early stages and is not yet formally recognized by the city.)

“We now hear the voice of the musicians,” resident Zev Pogrebin said. “They’re stakeholders in the project and they deserve, as part of our community, to get recognized and get something out of this. But just killing the project is selfish to all other stakeholders in the community. There needs to be participation from all sides to get what they need.”

“Musicians are some of the people who are in danger of being displaced because rents are too high,” resident Christopher Beland said. “So we need to find a way to get them on board.”

“‘Find another location”

Pogrebin and Beland advocate for finding more creative solutions around The Burren closing, such as creating temporary performance spaces or using the upcoming McCarthy’s, the bar in Porter Square that is owned by the same people who own The Burren.

Local musicians seemed doubtful of work-arounds.

“I don’t think there is a creative solution,” Summer McCall said. “They just need to find another location for this building.”

McCall, who runs the Boston Celtic Music Festival, explained that her festival would suffer income losses from a two-year closing, which would affect staff, musicians, agents and event organizers.

“There’s a lot of people who are going to fight tooth and nail to stop this from happening,” said Calum Bell, who has played at The Burren for nine years. “Tommy McCarthy is a saint and any of us would do anything for him. He does a lot for the music.”

The project is still in its early stages, with more developer-led community meetings to follow, and construction will not begin until at least 2026. The proposed tower is not compliant with the lot’s zoning; Flynn said they want to understand the community’s needs before proceeding with a special permit process, which will be subject to neighbor appeals.

The details for Copper Mill’s next community meeting are not set. The neighborhood council has been posting meeting details ahead of time on its Facebook group.

A stronger

Please consider making a financial contribution to maintain, expand and improve Cambridge Day.

We are now a 501(c)3 nonprofit and all donations are tax deductible.

Please consider a recurring contribution.

Donate now