Flyers began circulating last year when a developer proposed a 25-level apartment development in Davis Square on Elm Street. — Photo Courtesy of Elaine Almquist

By Harry Kane

A real estate developer is soliciting community feedback at neighborhood meetings for a proposed high-rise in Davis Square. The concept of building a 25-story tower in Somerville’s hippest neighborhood has a lot of residents talking.

Some may say a project of this scope in Davis Square is paving the way for future progress, while others think the tower would be too big.

“A lot of the people in the square are extremely concerned,” said Jack Connolly, former Somerville Ward Six and At-Large Alderman (known now as City Councilor).

Flyers from an anonymous group recently circulated throughout the neighborhood questioning the sensibleness of the development, asking: “Do we really want something like this in Davis Square?”

A response to the first flyer. — Photo Courtesy of Thomas Low Sternberg

Shortly after, a second flyer was posted in response to the first one in support of the building project.

Copper Mill, a Boston-based commercial and residential real estate developer, hopes to turn the Davis Square block that includes the Burren Pub, McKinnon’s Meat Market and Dragon Pizza, into a multifamily high-rise with retail storefronts at the corner of Elm and Grove streets.

“That would be the biggest building to ever be built in the City of Somerville,” Connolly said, expressing concerns about the construction process in the neighborhood.

Currently the zoning for the parcel only allows for four stories, so the building project that’s being proposed would not be possible yet. The developer would most likely need a special permit.

Copper Mill acquired the ground lease from Scape North America in 2023, according to Banker & Tradesman, a real estate and financial information website.

Copper Mill renderings of the 231-249 Elm Street and 6-8 & 12 Grove Street proposed apartment development. — Photos Courtesy of Copper Mill

Initially, there was a plan to build student-focused housing, but later the project was changed to a four-story lab space over retail. That plan may no longer be viable, according to the developer.

Now, Copper Mill is looking to build a 500-unit high-rise and is holding community meetings to gauge the sentiment among Davis Square residents.

“The economic vitality of Davis Square hinges on the small businesses,” said Connolly. He worries that the massive construction project would negatively impact small businesses in the nearby area from thriving, at least in the short term.

Andrew Flynn, former CEO and Founder of Scape North America, is the Boston-based commercial real estate developer spearheading the Copper Mill project.

The main obstacle is the property is currently zoned as Commercial Core 4 (CC4), which permits commercial buildings up to 4 stories in height. The Commercial Core zoning district does not permit residential uses nor buildings over 4 stories tall, according to the city.

“The conceptual development being discussed in Davis would either need the City Council to consider changing how Davis Square is currently zoned, or the property owner could possibly pursue a comprehensive permit subject to the MGL 40B process, which allows the Somerville Zoning Board to waive local regulations to permit a taller building if the proposed project meets the 40B criteria, specifically for affordable housing,” said Dan Bartman, the interim-director of the Planning, Preservation & Zoning Division in the Office of Strategic Planning & Community Development. 

Copper Mill has held public community meetings with the first of these on October 16 with 10 Copper Mill team members and 14 community members in attendance, including Ward 6 Councilor Lance L. Davis.

The third Copper Mill meeting on November 20. — Photo Courtesy of Elaine Almquist

Meanwhile, the Davis Square Neighborhood Council has been meeting to discuss the project proposal.

Elaine Almquist, the temporary President of DSNC, said their community group has met once per month for the past year, and that the meetings have become more focused around the Copper Mill project as of late.

“It’s mostly residents in the Davis Square neighborhood who were frustrated that they weren’t getting information on what was happening in their own community,” Almquist said.

The group is in the process of writing and finalizing bylaws to become an official council.

Almquist recalls the DSNC meetings in early 2024, with residents expressing their displeasure of the vacant lots in Davis Square. 

During the first Copper Mill meeting, the team said the market for lab space was saturated and not “economically viable,” Almquist recalls. That is when they introduced the high-rise project, acknowledging that the parcel is currently zoned for four stories in height.

Copper Mill followed up by holding more open community meetings on October 30, November 20 and December 11 to discuss the proposed high-rise.

“We’ve had a huge uptick in the discussion of what’s going on in the Copper Mill project because someone in the neighborhood printed flyers and delivered them,” said Almquist.

The flyers contained DSNC contact information with a photo of a large building, but Almquist says she doesn’t know who made them.

Copper Mill renderings of the 231-249 Elm Street and 6-8 & 12 Grove Street proposed apartment development. — Photos Courtesy of Copper Mill

“We want our neighbors to attend these meetings with the developer and express whatever their desires are about this building to the developer,” she said, regarding the DSNC meetings that occur on the last Monday of every month.

To date, there is no formal proposal for the building and the conceptual renderings of the Copper Mill project are preliminary ideas that have been presented at the open community meetings.

If everything goes as planned, construction could begin within 12 months’ time. The current plans contain retail and commercial space components with first-level storefronts and the possibility of a restaurant. The residential part would have 500 units with 20 percent of the units meeting affordability requirements, according to the meeting notes.

There may be an underground parking lot with 100 spaces, but the development team would like to encourage the use of public transit, and opinions on the parking “vary” among community members.

The Copper Mill team said the project timeline would span 18-24 months once the construction phase begins.

The next Copper Mill meeting will be on February 12 at 6 p.m. at the Somerville Community Baptist Church on College Avenue.

The DSNC holds monthly meetings on the last Monday of every month, and the next meeting will be on February 24 at 6pm at Somerville Community Baptist Church.

“Housing remains one of the most pressing challenges facing Somerville and our region,” according to Somerville Mayor Katjana Ballantyne. “We know that expanding our housing supply, especially affordable housing, is critical to keeping Somerville accessible to residents of all backgrounds and incomes. As a city, we are committed to thoughtful, community-driven growth that supports local businesses, enhances our public spaces, and strengthens our neighborhoods. Any new development must align with our values of affordability, sustainability, and inclusivity.”