Former Union Square Post Office Sold to Live Nation Developer

The former Union Square Post Office, a listed building on the National Historic Register, has been bought by Cambridge investor group Union Square Partners LLC. The group is led by Don Law, president of Live Nation New England and a man associated with a fairly significant percentage of live music venues in the Boston area, including but not limited to the House of Blues, Brighton Musical Hall, and the Paradise.

As reported in the Somerville Journal, this is not only potentially good news for music fans in the area but good news for Somerville. President of the Board of Alderman Bill White told Vanyaland, "This is definitely good news, as many of us were concerned that the Post Office would be sold to a developer who would propose a use that would be inconsistent with the community’s wishes." Law hopes to turn it into an arts venue "with a possible additional café or restaurant use in the space." (He told the Herald that food will be a "major component.")

The official press release quoted in the same Vanyaland article went on to say:

"The buyer has…agreed to work with the City to ensure that the historic New Deal era mural, which will remain U.S. Postal Service property, will also be preserved and that public access to it will exceed the minimum access requirements stipulated by the Post Office. Though the intent for the use is commercial, the buyer will also begin discussions with the Somerville Arts Council to determine options for possible additional community uses of the space.

An arts-related use of the space would be consistent with the SomerVision comprehensive plan goals to increase performing and visual arts space in the city, the goals of the Union Square Arts Overlay District established by the Union Square rezoning process, and the goal of the Union Square Revitalization Plan to specifically encourage an arts-related use in the Post Office building, all of which are the outcome of intensive community planning processes by residents."

Which suggests the city believes the deal will be every bit as good for the SAC, and the USAOD, and the USRP, and by extension the people of Somerville, as it is for Don Law, Live Nation New England, and Union Square Partners, LLC.