Councilors press for clarity on ADA upgrades at 165 Broadway; staff cite $15 million plan, elevator would trigger more work

Somerville councilors on the Public Utility & Public Works Committee pressed staff on May 20 for clearer cost estimates and prioritization for ADA upgrades at 165 Broadway, a city-owned building used by Team Empowerment for youth programming.

Councilor McLaughlin introduced two orders (25-0089 and 25-0088) asking the city to provide an estimate for ADA work at 165 Broadway and to prioritize the building for accessibility upgrades so youth programs can fully use the space. Committee members and staff discussed a prior facility analysis and differing dollar figures for a full renovation.

"My understanding...the total number for renovating this entire building will be $15,000,000," Councilor McLaughlin said. Earlier figures discussed by staff in previous meetings included a lower estimate (around $6,000,000) for a broad set of improvements; staff said the most recent analysis they had available was completed in 2021 and that line items for an elevator and associated mechanical upgrades are included in that breakdown.

City liaison staff said adding an elevator would likely trigger additional accessibility and mechanical work, increasing the cost beyond the price of an elevator shaft alone. Staff noted that producing a new, elevator-only cost analysis would require funding for an engineering assessment.

Team Empowerment's director, Aaliyah (spelled in the record as Aliyah) Yuan, told the committee representatives of the CPA (Community Preservation Act) had emailed earlier in the year to ask whether CPA funds could be used; she said she had not received a substantive response. Staff said CPA funds are being solicited for applications now and that portions of a project (for example mechanical work) might be eligible, but CPA would not likely cover the full renovation cost.

Stanley Pollock, a long-time Team Empowerment supporter, suggested exploring a stair lift as a lower-cost interim option to provide access to the second floor.

Committee members asked staff to identify which departments are involved in prioritizing the project within the city's capital investment plan (CIP) and where 165 Broadway sits in that list. Staff said they are discussing 165 Broadway as part of the CIP but did not have a finalized prioritization or release date for the CIP at the meeting; staff agreed to follow up with the committee and to provide requested cost breakdowns and a status update before the June 12 full council meeting if possible.

Committee members also raised contract questions: the Team Empowerment contract with the city was included in the meeting materials and appears to end in June; councilors asked staff to examine contract flexibility so Team Empowerment could count programming toward its contract if the building cannot be used for public events because of accessibility limits.

The committee marked the orders work complete for now with staff follow-up requested. No formal vote on funding or project approval took place at the meeting.