We NEED YOU & YOUR Vote! ver the last two years the Union Square Neighborhood Council (USNC) & Rafi O Properties have negotiated aCommunity Benefits Agreementfor the neighborhood as part of Somernova’s campus expansion. It includes over 100,000 square feet for the arts (new independent music venues, new affordable music rehearsal studios, new art galleries & artist studios), Somerville’s1stprivate development Project Labor Agreement to ensurefair wages, workers’ rights, and equitable labor practices, a turn-key fully funded community center (aka The Dojo), green spaces & new housing (including affordable units). To get these benefits, ⅔ of the vote must be “yes.” HO CAN VOTE?Anyone who lives, works, volunteers or owns property in the USNC W catchment area. (map included below) WHEN CAN I VOTE?Wednesday, June 4, 2025 7:30 AM – 7:30 PM WHERE CAN I VOTE?St. Anthony’s School 480 Somerville Avenue Somerville, MA
✅ ✅ Community Benefits + 10 years of development YES VOTEfor the CBA
❌ ❌ No community benefits. 10
NO VOTEAGAINST CBA
onstruction of approx 1.5M SF of development to c ears of development y support the preservation & growth of Somerville’s arts, construction of an as-of-right innovation and climatetech economies. project which allows 1.2M SF of development.
🖼️
Arts & Culture 100,000+ SF of arts and music space including affordable + purpose built arts exhibition, music recording, rehearsal and performance space. Music venues & public art program. A curatorial committee to advise Rafi on the program. Community Space 20,000 SF of community space including a 12,500 SF turn key space for The Dojo fully funded by Rafi with 10-years of operational support Jobs & Labor Rafi signed Somerville’s1st ever private development Project Labor Agreement-fair wages, workers’ rights, and equitable labor practices. 6,000 construction jobs & 4,000 permanent jobs. $600,000 for job training, and career advancement programs (First Source + Building Pathways)Approx $4.5m to Somerville Jobs Trust Green & Open Space Civic & Open Spaces (parks) including redesign of The Alley, 14,000 SF between Market Basket & Dane St. Publicly Accessible Roof Terraces. Rebuild of streets &
🧑🤝🧑
🙌
💼
🌳
👷
❌
No affordable purpose-built arts space. No music rehearsal, recording and performance venues. No curatorial committee.
❌
No community center, no funding for a community center and the dojo will shut down.
❌
No funding for Somerville Community Corporation’s First Source program. Approx $2.5m to Somerville Jobs Trust.
❌
No civic or open space. No rebuild or streets or streetscapes. No passive house residential.