unfortunately it's another bank branch

[ron_newman]

a sign in the first-floor window of the big new building at Summer and Cutter (next to Rosebud) announces that Community Credit Union will open soon.

That's not going to do much to liven up this dead part of the square, or to justify turning the little triangular parking lot into a new plaza :-(

Comments

[billharnois.livejournal.com]

So exciting! Well worth the wait!!!

[ron_newman]

Fortunately, some more worthwhile businesses are coming to other empty storefronts soon: Kindred Tea & Tonic, Kung Fu Tea, American Bakers Cafe, and Bibim restaurant.

[pakoo.livejournal.com]

Where is American Bakers Cafe going to be?

[ron_newman]

West side of College Avenue, in the same block as Deli-icious and Golden Light. Former location of Artifaktori. Their sign is now up, but it's not yet open.

A place with this name exists, or at least used to exist, in the Charlestown Navy Yard. I don't know if they are moving it to Davis Square or opening a second location here. Their web site is currently broken.

[surrealestate.livejournal.com]

It's looked like a bank ever since it was built, so that doesn't seem too surprising, anyway.

[ron_newman]

I was hoping to see the first-floor space subdivided, as it also seemed to be built with that in mind.

ETA: Today the building has a new sign that wasn't there yesterday:

Available for Lease
2,150 Sq. Ft.
Coffee Shop Preferred

so I guess they are subdividing, after all.

[srakkt.livejournal.com]

Some vindictive part of me just really wanted the egomaniac who "renamed" Medal of Honor square for himself to never recoup the costs of building that monstrosity.

[ron_newman]

I've always heard it called Cutter Square. Never heard of Medal of Honor square or any subsequent renaming.

[srakkt.livejournal.com]

It's like pretty much every intersection in Somerville and Cambridge, and has a name, usually for a servicemember or police officer killed in action from the neighborhood. The one at Cutter and Summer is called Medal of Honor square probably for George Dilboy - but there's already a George Dilboy square.
The "subsequent renaming" to which I refer is the sign carved into the stone façade of the building proclaiming that the square is indeed called "Christos Poutahidis Square"

[achinhibitor.livejournal.com]

Christos Poutahidis Square

Given the stupidity with which commercial buildings are named, that might be the name of the building. (Ugh.)

[srakkt.livejournal.com]

Almost certainly.

But the positioning makes that ambiguous. You called it out - it's stupidity.

[courtney o'keefe (from livejournal.com)]

I asked about the naming too and was told that it's his right to put it on the building. I'm very disappointed that none of the Aldermen made a public statement on this as its quite disrespectful to name it as a square.

[srakkt.livejournal.com]

That's my read on it as well. It's not nuisance signage or an eyesore, it's just rude and disrespectful.

So like free speech, it's his right to do the thing, and it's our right to point out he's a jerk.

[ron_newman]

No matter what's on any sign or building, people are just going to keep calling it Cutter Square.

[srakkt.livejournal.com]

Sure, just like the corner of Rindge and Mass Ave doesn't get called "Leo & Al Saidnawey Square." But that's it's name, and it'd be shitty of a developer to erect a big sign proclaiming it to be named after themselves.

[srakkt.livejournal.com]

Ultimately, I'm just being a curmudgeon.

[spatch]

Ain't nothing wrong with that.

That building on the corner is an affront to every conceivable aesthetic there is. My favorite part of it is the column on the corner which turns from fake granite to fake brick 1/3 of the way up. Absolutely breath-taking.

[maelithil.livejournal.com]

Too bad. I was happy to see that building vacant, the owner deserves nothing better. Egomaniac is a kind way of putting it.

What's going into the space that used to be the dry cleaners?

[ron_newman]

Kung Fu Tea.

[keithn.livejournal.com]

This is sad - the banks in Davis Square are a huge waste of space. I wonder how many more restaurants would take these spaces the square if our BoA and licensing board were more friendly towards restaurant owners applying for liquor licenses and parking exemptions. I'd take a local chain restaurant over a bank any day of the week.

[emcicle.livejournal.com]

I totally read that as Bank of America and couldn't figure out how they were related to the licensing board... LOL.