Armory Master Plan

Thanks for visiting the Somerville Armory project page! If you're new here, please take a look at this narrative and reference material - previous public meetings, Advisory Committee meetings, and background information are a good place to start.

Armory Master Plan Focus Group findings

On May 1st, 2023, the Master Plan Advisory Committee reviewed the findings of four Focus Groups hosted by Somerville's master planning consultants in April. A summary of these findings has been prepared and is available in the "Documents" tab to the right side of this site.

Project Information

Somerville recently acquired the Armory property for use as a public Community Arts Center. The city's Office of Strategic Planning and Community Development (OSPCD) and the Somerville Arts Council (SAC) have selected a consultant, Create Today, LLC, to compile an Armory Master Plan will guide how the property will serve as an arts center, including a business strategy outlining how the space will be used, managed and financially sustainable. Create Today will study best practices from other community arts facilities and coordinate with city staff on a community engagement process that will involve the City officials, our arts community, residents, and other interested stakeholders.

Get Involved!

The Somerville Armory Master Plan Advisory Committee (SAMPAC) started meeting on June 6th and convened again on September 12th of 2022. SAMPAC will continue to convene regularly in 2022 and early 2023 until the Master Plan is complete in early 2023. Follow this site for information about upcoming Committee meetings and other public meetings to review progress on development of the Master Plan, and to preview a draft of the plan before it is finalized.

The next Advisory Committee meetings will be held virtually later in the summer! Stay tuned to this site for a recording of the proceedings and meeting material!

Project Site

The Somerville Armory is located at 191 Highland Avenue, a nearly 1-acre site between Davis Square and Somerville City Hall. Built in 1903 with three floors and a basement spanning 27,000 square feet, this building contains nearly 22,000 square feet of usable space. It currently features a two-story, 5,600 square foot performance hall with a mezzanine, a ground floor cafe, large work rooms and live/work apartments on the upper floors.

The Armory first served as a National Guard facility until the 1970's and was then transferred to the Massachusetts State Police. Vacant since the mid-1980's, the site was purchased by a private owner in 2004 and renovated in 2009 as a private arts facility and performance space. The City acquired the property in 2020, and will use the forthcoming Master Plan as a roadmap to transition it into a modern public arts center. The City must follow state law in selecting future tenants through public request for proposal (RFP) procedures, and public relocation processes in helping current Armory tenants adjust to future use of the site.