Comments on: Should a Staples come to Davis Square?

By: Peter J.

Peter J. — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 14:31:19 +0000

To Barry’s point, there are in fact 4 Staples within 2 miles of Davis Sq: Fresh Pond (which I go to probably at least once every 1-3 months), Mystic Ave (on the Somerville side of the Mystic across the river from Meadow Glen Mall), Harvard Square, and another big one in Assembly Sq.

I’d also point out that you can very easily walk to the one at Fresh Pond from Davis and would only have to be on sidewalks for about 2 blocks’ worth of the trip as the bike path leads almost directly there.

By: Ron Newman

Ron Newman — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 15:01:52 +0000

I don’t think they would close the Fresh Pond store in order to open one in Davis. The Fresh Pond store is much larger than anything they can put here, and has free parking for their suburban customers coming in off Route 2.

By: Janine D.

Janine D. — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 14:52:16 +0000

Barry-maybe the location in Fresh Pond is closing. That is a lucrative spot for some other store.

By: Barry Rafkind

Barry Rafkind — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 14:41:48 +0000

Hi Dave, in an age of online shopping I’m skeptical about whether having a local Staples store would make a difference in terms of surrounding business development. Given that there’s a Staples store less than 2 miles away at the Fresh Pond Mall, I wonder whether there’s enough demand to support a second one in Davis Sq.

By: Dave

Dave — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 05:03:27 +0000

Staples is a good store, it creates an environment for more businesses to be created, I say bring it on.

By: Columbine

Columbine — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 16:53:26 +0000

The difference is, local businesses not only put money in the pockets of their employees, but in the pockets of their local owners, who then turn around and spend it here in Somerville, at other Somerville businesses, rather than wherever a big chain happens to be headquartered.

By: Xumi

Xumi — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 16:41:03 +0000

How elitist can you progressives get? Who cares what business comes? Businesses bring JOBS. JOBS brings money and less people on the streets.

I don’t care if a coal mining operation decides to relocate to Davis and starts to dig up Elm street. ANY business (chain or mom-pop) will bring much needed revenue and jobs. Let’s just make it happen.

By: Ron Newman

Ron Newman — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 04:52:45 +0000

But here’s the problem with that: ANY conversion of this office space to retail, for ANY tenant, will require the exact same permit that the property owner is currently applying for. The owner simply wants to convert a couple of windows into doors. The city can’t say “no” to this just because the prospective tenant is Staples, unless the city wants to say “no” to retail use entirely.

By: lavendarotter

lavendarotter — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 04:47:41 +0000

I should qualify what I said. This is the part of Intrepid’s statement with which I agree:
each application for a City permit is an opportunity for local communities to try and shape the future of their neighborhoods and/or commercial districts, a precious right safeguarded by the City Charter and Mass. General Laws. Each time we defer to developers, corporate entities and other kinds of investors based on our own complacency, an ill-founded trust in their beneficence, or feelings of helplessness, we lose.

By: lavendarotter

lavendarotter — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 04:45:12 +0000

I agree with Intrepid. The allure of Davis Square is its unique businesses. It is turning into a generic urban downtown.