Somerville City Council Unanimously Approves Zoning Unlocking Expansion of Somerville’s Innovation Hub

Members of the Union Square Neighborhood Council, Arts Stays Here, Rafi Properties, and Somerville City Council after the unanimous passage of transformative Arts & Innovation Zoning, advancing the Somernova expansion. Photo Courtesy of Somernova.

June 30, 2025 – SOMERVILLE, MA – On Thursday, June 26, 2025, the Somerville City Council unanimously approved the Arts & Innovation Zoning, unlocking the expansion of the Somernova campus. 

The approval follows the recent formal signing of the landmark Community Benefits Agreement (CBA) with the Union Square Neighborhood Council and Art Stays Here, as well as a first-of-its-kind Project Labor Agreement (PLA) with Greater Boston Building Trades Unions. Together, these milestones represent a powerful step forward for inclusive, future-focused development in Union Square.

Fueled by the Arts & Innovation Subarea zoning, Somernova’s expansion envisions 1.5 million square feet of cutting-edge R&D and commercial space and housing to support the next wave of climate and tough tech innovators. Integrated into a vibrant ecosystem of arts and music, local retail, housing, childcare, civic space, and a community center, this expansion will cement Somernova as a global launchpad for companies incubated at and emerging from trailblazers like Greentown Labs and The Engine—positioning Somerville at the forefront of solving the world’s toughest challenges.

With the zoning now approved, Somernova will initiate the Master Plan Special Permit and