Developer vows to present ‘options’ for Davis Square tower project

Local news

“The most likely possibility is that if we can’t find a way to work together, this site will likely sit vacant for 10 to 15 years,” Flynn said.

Developers of the proposed 26-story tower on Davis Square in Somerville hosted a public meeting Tuesday night, vowing to earn the community’s trust and return next month with new options for a major development above Burien.

“I will make a personal commitment that over the next 30 days we will offer multiple options, and they may not be fully baked, and they may not be pretty,” said Andrew Flynn, owner of developer Copper Mill.

Copper Mill also plans to open a project office the week of March 23 at 235 Elm Street. “To serve as a gathering place,” including renderings, models and more information about the project, Flynn said.

During a meeting in the Crystal Ballroom, Flynn resubmitted plans for a 502-unit high-rise apartment building, which would include 126 affordable housing units, at Elm and Grove streets in Davis Square.

In December, Copper Mill has applied for a Chapter 40B permit to construct the building In December after what some residents at the meeting described as a year of “radio silence.”

“We were trying to engage in a dialogue that people weren’t really having,” Flynn said in response. “We really felt the level of vitriol and the spirit of dialogue became really toxic at this time last year.”

The tower’s display was met with mostly boos and scattered applause. Many, concerned about the Kendall Square developments and the industrial look of the Seaport District, said the look should be more tailored to Davis’ personality. Flynn agreed.

“To me, they’re sterile. They’re soulless. They could be in the middle of nowhere across the country, all over the world,” Flynn said, referring to other neighborhoods. “We need this to be woven into the fabric of Davis Square.”

Some residents have criticized Copper Mill for submitting the same plans while community members have already said the project is too large and doesn’t fit with the character of the neighborhood.

Copper Mill has committed to a 100 percent union workforce and will support two corporate retail spaces. Any trucks that will be loaded will be off-street, and there is no plan for community or public parking, Flynn said during the meeting.

“So you don’t want families,” shouted a woman in the audience.

Some residents criticized the mix of units in the building. Of the 502 units, 427 are studio or one-bedroom units. Only 25 units are two-bedrooms, and 50 are three-bedrooms, according to the 40B application.

“This has to pass through us.”

At the end of the two-hour meeting, Flynn made a personal commitment to offer more options aimed at addressing neighbors’ concerns next month, which residents said they appreciated after the difficult meeting.

“It was interesting that he was willing to put other options on the table, but he could have really shown good faith and followed through by pulling the 40B and returning to the city,” a resident named Frank said after the meeting.

Flynn has been trying to develop the area since 2019, when his former company, Skip, proposed a six-story building, which was approved as a four-story building in 2022, Boston.com reported at the time. This project did not materialize, and Flynn’s new company, Copper Mill, proposed the 26-storey tower, which sparked widespread outrage, even as developers promised to rebuild the Burren Tower.

The construction, which Flynn told residents could happen next year, will affect The Burren, Dragon Pizza, McKinnon’s Meat Market, Martsa on Elm and Kung Fu Tea, some temporarily and others permanently.

While Malik Buren supports the project, residents said his temporary absence during construction will leave a hole in the plaza.

“If you shut down a business and a community for two years, and that community disperses, you can’t recreate the interface and bring that community back,” said Rachel, who performs in Burien.

The meeting was not run by the city, but newly elected Mayor Jake Wilson stood in the back. He did not comment on the meeting, but he said earlier that he would not take a position outside it Population support.

“Davis Square needs a catalyst,” Copper Mill’s presentation said, citing empty storefronts and decreased foot traffic. The buildings are “not capable of being reoccupied,” Flynn said.

“The most likely possibility is that if we can’t find a way to work together, this site will likely sit vacant for 10 to 15 years,” Flynn said.

Eileen Almquist, President Davis Square Neighborhood CouncilHe said that the organization has not yet taken a general position on the project. However, the council will hold a vote.

“This has to get through us,” she said.