Retrofit Atlas

Other · Massachusetts

A&P food-storage and bakery warehouse

Imported, unreviewedRedevelopedReinhabitedRetrofit builtSomerville, MA

Artist-cooperative converted warehouse (1988) now used for housing; median rent $2,126; 9 nearby developments within 10km. · summary, model-written

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Site profile8 elements · what this retrofit is built with · tap a chip for the evidence

Place
3+ other atlas sites within 10 kmThis site: 9 within 10 km computed · all sites with this
County lost 10%+ of retail establishments since 2012This site: -10% census-cbp · all sites with this
County permitting 2,000+ apartment units a yearThis site: 2,440 units, Middlesex County census-bps · all sites with this
County typical rent $2,000+This site: $3,069/mo zillow · all sites with this
Strategy
RedevelopedThis site: record · all sites with this
ReinhabitedThis site: record · all sites with this
New use
HousingThis site: …new_use field record · all sites with this
Mixed useThis site: …new_use field record · all sites with this

All elements and lists · Trends

Now

StatusRetrofit builtnewtypes-extraction reported
StrategyRedeveloped · ReinhabitedWikipedia no source
New useshousing, mixedWikipedia no source
RedeveloperBrickbottom Artists Cooperativenewtypes-extraction reported

Deals and debt

DateEventPricePartiesSource
1988Sold—group of 85 artistsWikipedia

Site context

Housing permits, Middlesex County (MA), 20242,440 units in 5+ unit buildings, 166 in 2–4, 889 single-family; 2023: 2,902 in 5+Census BPS
Other atlas sites nearby9 within 10 km, 22 within 25 km: Assembly Mall (1.7 km); Cambridge Discovery Park (4.1 km); 15 Court Square (4.6 km); Orchard Gardens (4.7 km); Filene's landmark flagship store (4.7 km)computed
Retail trade in the county, 2025 (BLS QCEW)68,958 jobs in 4,328 establishments; average annual pay $47,577; employment location quotient 0.77; employment -2.2% on the yearBLS QCEW 2025, NAICS 44-45, private
Jobs located in the tract, 2022831 jobs; 16 in retail trade, 69 in accommodation and food (workplace blocks summed to tract 25017351101)Census LEHD LODES8 WAC 2022
Upward mobility (Opportunity Atlas, 2010 tract)children of low-income (25th percentile) families reached the 46th income percentile as adults; 0.8% incarcerated at the 2010 count (271 children in the sample); born 1978–83, measured 2014–15Opportunity Insights
Food access (USDA FARA 2019, 2010 tract)not a low-access tract at 1 mile; poverty rate 8.1%; median family income $134,787; 74 SNAP householdsUSDA ERS
SchoolsSomerville School District (PK-12); 11 public schools within 1 mile: Maria L. Baldwin; Missituk Elementary School; Arthur D Healey; E Somerville CommunityNCES EDGE
Elevation106 ft above sea level at the site pointUSGS 3DEP
Storm events in the county, 2016-2025469 county-logged events: 301 thunderstorm wind, 97 flood, 32 flash flood, 23 hail; $4,288,150 property damage reported; forecast-zone events (most flood, winter and heat) not countedNOAA Storm Events
Homes for sale in ZIP 02143, 2026-09median list price $987,350 (+12.9% on the year); 44 active listings; median 45 days on market; 17% with a price cutRealtor.com Research
Retail trade in the county, 2012 to 20234,650 establishments (-10%); 79,115 jobs (-5%)Census CBP
Housing market in the countytypical home value $804,837 (+2% 1 yr, +22% 5 yr); typical rent $3,069/mo (+2% 1 yr), 2026-09Zillow Research
Traffic on the busiest road within 600 m (2024)20,556 vehicles a day (minor arterial, 2 lanes); 1,399 trucks; 20 counted segmentsFHWA HPMS

Summary, model-written

The A&P food-storage and bakery warehouse in Somerville, MA (not a mall) was redeveloped in 1988 when a group of 85 artists purchased it from the developer. The Brickbottom Artists Cooperative now operates as the developer. The site is currently built and used for housing/mixed purposes.

Why. The site is already converted (not a retrofit opportunity), with median rent at $2,126. Housing market data shows a ZHVI of $804,837 (2026-09) in Middlesex County. Nearby developments include Assembly Mall (1.7km away) and Orchard Gardens (4.7km).

Where it stands. Status: built. New use: housing/mixed. Developer: Brickbottom Artists Cooperative (established 1988).

For a planner

  • 1988 artist cooperative conversion is the key event
  • No current vacancy rate or tenant data provided
  • Housing market context available (ZHVI, rent)
  • 9 nearby developments within 10km

For a developer

  • Median rent $2,126 matches housing market
  • Permits show 2024 construction activity (Middlesex County)
  • No current occupancy rate or rent structure details
  • Unknown: current tenant mix, exact rent per unit, or vacancy rate

What we do not know yet

  • Not a mall (recorded as 'other' type)
  • Opp_score 0.0 suggests no new opportunity
  • No current financials beyond median rent
  • No data on current housing demand vs supply
  • No details on the artist cooperative's operational model

Generated by qwen3-30b-a3b-64k:latest on Dell 5820 RTX 3090 (Ollama, qwen3-30b-a3b) from the fields, parcels, deals and context layers on this page, with no outside knowledge. It is regenerated when the record changes and has not been checked by a person. How it is made.

Similar sites

  • Lafayette Place Mall, Boston, MA · Malls · same strategy: redevelop, reinhabit; also in MA; 5 km away
  • Arsenal Mall, Watertown, MA · Malls · same strategy: redevelop, reinhabit; also in MA; 6 km away
  • Atrium Mall, Newton, MA · Malls · same strategy: reinhabit; also in MA; 10 km away
  • Mishawum station site, Woburn, MA · Other · same strategy: redevelop; also in MA; 13 km away

Elsewhere on the web

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Multifamily screen

  • retrofit already built
  • median rent $2,126
  • housing in the record

Inputs: record fields (size, status) and county Census ACS 2018–2023 figures (growth, rent). How the points work. Not a recommendation.

History and original facts

AnchorsA&P
CountyMiddlesex County
Census division1 · New England
NotesDraft from Wikipedia, model-extracted, unreviewed: A former A&P food-storage and bakery warehouse in Somerville, Massachusetts, was redeveloped in 1988 into the Brickbottom Artists Cooperative, providing 155 live-work units for artists.

Not yet recorded: acres, GLA, year opened, original developer, what is there now, retrofit year. Know it? Tell us.

Timeline

  1. 1988 redevelopment of A&P warehouse and establishment of Brickbottom Artists Cooperative

Sources

  • Brickbottom (Somerville, Massachusetts) · CC BY-SA 4.0
    2 quoted sentences
    A&P food-storage and bakery warehouse
    In 1988, the redevelopment of the A&P food-storage and bakery warehouse located at the corner of McGrath Highway and Fitchburg Street enabled establishment of the Brickbottom Artists Cooperative.

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