The Davis Square Community

The MBTA will begin demolishing the Ball Square Bowling alley tomorrow, according to the "Construction Update" email that the City of Somerville sent me last week.

• Starting Monday, April 22, crews will begin demolishing four buildings on Boston Ave. near the Broadway intersection, where the new Ball Square T station will be. Demo and debris removal will continue throughout the week between 7 a.m. and 3 p.m., requiring lane shifts around the work zone.

According to the Somerville News Weekly, the alley closed in November, 2017. They also have a photo of the BOWLING sign being removed last month. (I do not really recommend The Somerville News Weekly, but I cannot find any other source for these two news items.)

Long-time readers of this group and its LiveJournal predecessor may recall a big party that we held there in February 2010, organized by plumtreeblossom. Here is a Flickr album from that night, including some backstage photos of the pin-setting machinery.

I wrote to Evan Fetras, the manager of Flatbread Somerville, and got back a reply from assistant manager Mike Brooks:

"We have delayed, not given up on our planned expansion. As to why?... there are some issues that the landlord has, that need to be cleared up. Flatbread has nothing to do with those issues. If and when those issues are resolved, we will move forward with our plan."

[Earlier posts: January 1 | April 4 | April 23 morning | April 23 evening | November 3]

A short report from tonight's meeting regarding expansion of Flatbread and Sacco's Bowl-Haven:

They want to expand into 49 Day Street, formerly part of Ideal Engine. The building is much bigger inside than you'd expect from just seeing the street frontage.

The new space will contain 7 additional bowling lanes (with 26 bench seats facing the lanes), a 50-seat dining area, a 9-seat bar, and its own set of restrooms. The existing wall between the current Flatbread/Sacco's and the new space will remain intact, with only one door punched through to connect the two spaces. This will allow partitioning off the new space for private functions such as weddings and birthday parties.

In addition, what's now a small parking lot to the right of the building will contain a 76-seat outdoor patio, under a pergola. A driveway will remain next to it, leading to 6 parking spaces and a dumpster. Outdoor hours, in season, will be the same as current indoor hours.

The project requires a special permit with design review from the Zoning Board of Appeals, as well as a variance for inability to provide 15 additional parking spaces. The ZBA hearing will be Wednesday, May 15 at 6 pm at City Hall. The expansion also required approval from the Licensing Commission, but that already happened last night.

Neighbors seemed generally supportive, but raised a number of practical issues regarding trash and recycling disposal, construction hours, and the congregation of cigarette smokers outside the front entrance. Some previous construction by Flatbread had illegally occurred between midnight and 6 am, resulting in repeated calls by neighbors to the Somerville police to shut the work down. The Flatbread representative assured residents that this would not recur.

Build-out will take 12 to 16 weeks after permits are issued.

While walking down Day Street, I saw this leaflet stuck in the front fence of an apartment building:

There will be a Neighborhood Meeting regarding the proposed expansion of Flatbread to be located at 49 Day Street, Somerville

Sponsored by Ward 6 Alderman Rebekah Gewirtz

Flatbread representatives, their attorney and the Architect shall be present to speak with neighbors and answer any questions.

When: Tuesday, April 23, 2013 - 6 pm
Where: 49 Day Street

For more information about the meeting, please call Ward 6 Alderman Rebekah L. Gewirtz at 617-718-0792

(49 Day Street used to be the east side of Ideal Engine. Here's my earlier post about Flatbread's proposed expansion.)

Yesterday morning, I saw three Sacco's employees walking into what used to be the Day Street entrance to Ideal Engine. They told me that Sacco's will expand into this neighboring building, adding seven more candlepin lanes.

Sacco's Bowl-Haven is closed and under serious construction -- looks like it's being gutted and rebuilt, including replacing the pinsetter mechanisms of the remaining 10 bowling lanes. Pop your head in and check it out if you walk by while the construction is going on.

Their web site says they expect to reopen on May 27.

Edit: As amy_s1 reminds us in the comments, this is preparation for the opening of Flatbread Company's pizza restaurant, replacing the billiards hall and 5 of the original 15 lanes. Here's a recent Somerville News article about it.

A sign on the front door of Sacco's says that it will close on January 21, and then reopen with a new owner on February 6. I assume the new owner is the previously reported Flatbread Company.