The group working to revive Davis Square is feeling good about its first five months, preparing for a big end to its first season and already looking at what’s coming in 2027, said Greg Nadeau of the Somerville Foundation.
“Davis has turned the corner and is getting its vibe back,” Nadeau said Tuesday. He outlined the wins since April, when he and other residents announced an effort to drown out a narrative of empty storefronts, camps for the unhoused, public drug use and occasional violence
With no city funding, the group has produced 25 free events in Statue Park (mainly concerts under the “Down in Davis” label) and 39 in Davis Plaza, including a Fifa World Cup soccer watch party, Nadeau said. “We have demonstrated our effectiveness with no public funds,” he said. “Now we want to show what could be done with public-private partnership.”
In addition to working with plaza property owner Asana for a 2027 series with regular beer gardens and music, Nadeau and his partners have proposed a “Down in Davis” parking improvement district that would reinvest fees from the Day Street parking lot into maintenance and programming. “We have met with councilor Davis and mayor Wilson,” Nadeau said, referring to council president Lance Davis and mayor Jake Wilson. He inferred an interest in “immediate action.”
Wilson did tell Nadeau he liked the proposal, which is in earliest stages of consideration, said Denise Taylor, a spokesperson for the city. “The mayor is supportive of exploring the idea in Davis, potentially as a pilot that could set a standard for expanding to other squares and business districts,” Taylor said. “There are a few variations on the theme of special funding districts possible in Massachusetts that could all be considered – parking benefits districts, business improvement districts, community benefits districts.”
The idea was researched and recently proposed by Paul Christie, owner of the Davis Squared gift shop who also has a shop in Arlington – called Arlington Centered – that is part of such a district “that has functioned well” since it was introduced in 2017, Taylor said. Christie presented the idea to the Davis Square Merchants Association.
The Arlington district lets the town take net income after expenses from parking meters for improvements such as parking lot upgrades, improved pedestrian lighting, sidewalk snow removal and more benches and bike racks, according to the Arlington website.
“Our singular goal is to support immediate, hyperlocal improvement to the square while the city works through longer-term zoning and infrastructure improvements,” Nadeau said. A Davis Square Neighborhood Plan is expected to be finished and presented in the first half of 2027, Wilson said.
Asana Partners, a North Carolina property developer, agreed in May to allow use of the space outside of its stalled lab redevelopment, 7th Spoke. Storefronts that emptied in anticipation of redevelopment mostly haven’t been refilled, and a Starbucks at the property that closed in September, and a similar dynamic is present down the block where developer Copper Mill has announced the end of a plan to remake Elm and Grove streets with a 502-unit, 26-story tower.
Before the legislative changes come two signature festivals.
Food Nation, which highlights restaurants around Davis Square, changes format and expands in its third year to a two-day festival with live music, a beer garden and family-friendly activities. The event runs 2 to 8 p.m. Oct. 3-4 at 260 Elm St., with free entry and all-you-can-eat tasting pass options of $30 for one day (and an early bird price of $25) or a $50 weekend pass (with an early bird price of $40). Tickets are here.
Honk! The festival of activist street bands turns 21, bringing more than 30 brassy troupes to the streets (“more than 65 bands applied, hailing from all over the country,” spokesperson Mary Curtin said) for three free days of good noise and trouble Oct 10-11. The kickoffs include lantern-making workshops and parades Friday evening, followed by band showcases in Union Square; a Saturday of Davis Square performances; and a “Reclaim the Streets for Horns, Bikes, and Feet” parade that leads from Davis to Harvard Square for its 47th annual Oktoberfest on Sunday. Information is here.
Even before these comes the SomerStreets Gilman Square Arts and Music Festival, which Nadeau said he will attend. “We will be there to celebrate and see if the Foundation can help Gilman and Central Hill next,” he said.
The free festival has live music, circus and clown performances, artists and makers, family-friendly activities, a Winter Hill Brewing beer garden and food (from kitchens that include CocoBelly Bites Jamaican Cuisine, Matki Kulfi Creamery, BanglaAdda Bengali Cuisine, Straight A’s BBQ, Manaos Colombian Cuisine, Dos Manos Kitchen, Kuya Jay’s and Dean’s Concessions) from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday at Edward L. Leathers Community Park, 104 Walnut St., Winter Hill.
Nadeau identified several key partners in the Davis Square work: Frank Malsbenden and Davis Village; Paul and Melissa Christie and the Davis Square Merchants Association; Aiden Rice, organizer of Down in Davis; Chris Vining, formerly of The Goods cannabis shop; Carla DeLellis, former owner of Johnny D’s; Jim Harrison of Sacco’s Bowl Haven; Terry Ward of Redbones; Chris Babbit of Orleans; Tommy McCarthy of The Burren, who gave a $5,000 donation; Emily Balkam, who volunteered and built the first website, JJ Gonson, who booked bands; Luisa Oliveira, director of public space and urban forestry for Somerville; Jennifer Lawrence of the Somerville Chamber of Commerce; and Bryan MacAuslan of EventThem; Dylan Welsh, Ten One Tea House, Saigon Tiger and Waikiki, donators of gift cards for bands; and former city councilor Jack Connolly, who gave financial sponsorship and logistical help with parking.
This post was updated to include material from Denise Taylor, a spokesperson for the city.
