CultureHouse and the Union Square Neighborhood Council (USNC) announced today the development of CultureHouse Union Square, a community-driven pop-up located in a vacant storefront at 64 Union Square that will serve as a living room for the community, a one-stop-shop for healthcare resources, performance space, community meetings and gatherings, information for new neighborhood residents, a senior and youth center, and a library. The project’s community input phase has launched, and will be open till December, inviting community members to be part of the process and share their input to help shape the free-to-enter intergenerational pop-up public space pilot, expected to open on January 10, 2024.  

CultureHouse Union Square, funded by an American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) grant from the City of Somerville, will serve as a pilot to help inform and shape a long-term community center long sought by the Union Square neighborhood. The project aligns with CultureHouse’s mission to transform spaces into vibrant social infrastructure that highlights and builds upon the historic and growing arts and culture footprint of communities across the region. For the Union Square Neighborhood Council, it’s about maximizing the benefits of new development while minimizing displacement by integrating long-term residents and newcomers into the community fabric.

“The Union Square neighborhood is ever-growing and changing,” said Aaron Greiner, Executive Director of CultureHouse. “And these changes come with many opportunities to ensure the community continues to build social connections in a place where they feel welcomed, represented, and connected to the neighborhood and to the arts, culture, programming, and businesses that make Union Square the vibrant and diverse neighborhood it is today     .      CultureHouse Union Square will help do just that, mapping out a path for a future community center in the area. We’re excited to build upon CultureHouse’s previous successes in East Somerville and throughout the region— especially in the neighborhood where we held our first pop-up, where our organization is headquartered, and where I live myself.”

The pop-up will be a community-driven public space to test out potential uses for a community center in Union Square as the neighborhood continues to grow and undergo changes with the onset of new developments.

“Shaping the future of Union Square as an increasingly inclusive and vibrant neighborhood and commercial center built around the aspirations of the people who live and work here has always been a critical part of our mission,” said Ann Camara and Michele Hansen, Co-Chairs of the      Union Square Neighborhood Council. “And a large-scale intergenerational community center is critical to reinvigorating a sense of community and identity in a place where people can gather and connect – especially in a neighborhood where increased demand for housing has resulted in the displacement of many long-term resident and local businesses making the need to rebuild social connections ever critical. The pop-up gives the Union Square community the opportunity to see and advocate for what we have been missing in our neighborhood.”

CultureHouse Union Square will function as an intergenerational gathering space catering to all ages through regular programming, collaboration, and informal events and gatherings. All while uplifting local businesses and creatives and providing a space for the public to convene and access important community-based information.

CultureHouse and USNC will work closely with the Union Square community to ensure the pop-up meets local needs and that residents are active participants in determining the future of their neighborhood. There will be several opportunities to engage with the project before opening day. CultureHouse and USNC are gathering community input through a multi-lingual community survey that will inform the design and programming of the pop-up public space. To take the survey in English, Spanish, Haitian Creole, and Portuguese, learn more about the project and get updates on next steps, please visit www.culturehouse.cc/union.

CultureHouse is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving livability in local communities by transforming unused spaces into vibrant social infrastructure. They create lasting change through community engagement, building designs, operating experimental pop-up spaces, and impact reports detailing the project’s next steps. Learn more at www.culturehouse.cc/union

The Union Square Neighborhood Council was formed with the mission to shape the future of Union Square as an increasingly inclusive and vibrant neighborhood and commercial center built around the aspirations of the people who live and work there. They value interdependence, inclusion, wellness, participation, equity, enjoyment, stewardship, transparency, and civic engagement. Learn more at https://unionsquareneighborhoodcouncil.org/