The future of how the Armory will be operated is currently under study by the city and interested stakeholders.

By Ana Celerier

On Tuesday, August 1, a virtual public meeting was held to discuss the future of the historic Somerville Armory building. The Somerville Arts Council members were present to discuss the different approaches to the future of the historic building’s management. They said that creating a sense of belonging is essential for the artists currently involved in the space, and that for visitors the space needs to be inviting and inspiring. The Arts Council stated that the city currently owns the Armory and plans to remain the owner.

“We’re really talking about who would be responsible and how they would be responsible for the day-to-day operations of the space.” said Kate Scorza Ingram, founder of Create Today, a consulting company.

Ingram presented the main two ideas for how the Armory could be operated. The first is for the city to remain as the owner and to become the full operator. Meaning the city would have complete control over programming activity and content. They would also be responsible for all operating revenues and expenses. The city would also be responsible for marketing, advocacy, and fundraising to support the space’s programming, operations, and capital improvements.

The next option to be considered would be having multiple tenants, so the city would maintain its ownership role of the facility, but multiple tenants would operate the individual spaces within the Armory, so the city would have less control over the programming activity and content within the space. The city would still be responsible for the long-term capital costs and maintaining the facility. Still, it would require many partners for marketing, advocacy, programming, and fundraising. The tenants would be responsible for marketing and fundraising for their specific venues.

The presenters then shared a survey with those attending the meeting, asking them which option they preferred and why. Many members of the public who were in attendance said that they preferred the second option as it allowed for more community input. No final decisions were made at this meeting, and more community engagement regarding the future of the building’s management is expected to occur.

The Armory will be holding an important community meeting on August 15 at 7:00 p.m. in the Performance Hall. As per their website, “This meeting is an opportunity for us, the Center for Arts at the Armory, to present ourselves to our community – our mission, leadership, business plan, events, programs, services, and successes. We want to educate our community about what our organization does and what the community would lose if our organization dissolves. Ultimately, we want you, our community members, to decide for yourselves how you believe you will best be served by the Armory. We will also be presenting ways in which you can engage with this process and make your voice heard.”

More information can be found on their website: https://artsatthearmory.org.