What is Keeping Small Strong?

Union Square Main Streets is grateful for the City of Somerville’s investment in your community by awarding USMS an ARPA-funded grant to embark on a pilot project called Keeping Small Strong: a sustainable path forward for recovery + resilience.

ARPA: American Rescue Plan Act—legislation passed by Congress providing economic relief to address impacts of the pandemic.

Who does the pilot serve?

This pilot project is a journey for USMS, local business leaders, nonprofit community partners, property owners, employees, employers, the City, and folx who #LoveUnionSquare like you to go on together.

What do we know so far?

After chatting with more than 500 Union Square community members for our most recent strategic plan, we learned that folx deeply #LoveUnionSquare and feel protecting the character and connectivity of your community is more critical than ever during this immense period of transformation.

Your priorities included:

• Multilingual wayfinding to make Union Square more welcoming, attractive and increase its walkability 

• Increased community connections with local businesses to strengthen your neighborhood’s resilience and pandemic recovery 

• Enhanced collaboration with nonprofit partners dedicated to equitable economic opportunity enable us to serve more vulnerable members of our community

Your feedback has driven USMS to expand the impact of our equitable, place-keeping, and partnership-focused programs. Thank you for helping co-create USMS’ future service to Union Square. 

There are many types of business models that USMS could grow into to offer these services, but based on your feedback so far, the best fit might be a Business Improvement District (BID).

What is a BID?

A dynamic partnership between community, property owners, and businesses to bolster the economic and social vitality of a neighborhood through supplement services.

The focus of Keeping Small Strong is supporting small businesses owned by and who employ people disproportionately impacted by the pandemic.

BIDs provide a unified voice on issues that are important to the neighborhood and are specific to the needs of that community.

So what does this have to do with Keeping Small Strong?

Keeping Small Strong gives the neighborhood the ability to “try out” some of the services a BID would provide while we learn alongside each other if it’s the right fit.

Want to know which businesses are in the Square and learn the stories of the people behind them?

• Read about business leaders’ passion for community in the stories shared in the Union Square insider’s Guide

• Try your hand at a family favorite recipe

• Attend Square events happening throughout the year

• And don’t forget to say hi when you see these folx around the Square!

You’re in the Square, now where do you go?

• Starting this spring, look for multilingual wayfinding signs that will help guide you along your way

Your feedback matters!

Your investment in your neighborhood helps make Union Square the unique, dynamic, and thriving place it is today! Your input over the course of the Keeping Small Strong pilot is incredibly important to the future of our Square.

Tell us what makes Union the Sweetest Square in Somerville and be entered to win Fluff stuff!

Keeping Small Strong Steering Committee

Jen Palacio, Chair
Tiny Turns Paperie, USMS Board Member

Sheila Borges-Foley
The Neighborhood

Mary Cassesso
Resident, USMS Board Member

Ken Gasse
NU Kitchen

Mike Katz
Resident, USMS Board Member

Kristin Phelan
Somernova

Gonzalo Puigbó
Somerville Community Corporation

Elan Sassoon
Union 346

Jessica Eshleman
USMS Executive Director