Somerville Media Center Has Found a Temporary New Home

SOMERVILLE, MA — Somerville Media Center (SMC) announced Thursday that it has found a temporary new home and will be moving next month.

In a release, SMC said that it will be relocating from the old firehouse in Union Square to Somernova, Somerville's innovation hub, located at 12 Tyler St. SMC said it expects to begin limited operation in the new space on Sept. 15.

The nonprofit SMC runs public access stations GovTV and EdTV.

"Somernova has really come through for us, showing that they are invested in our long-term success by providing temporary space for SMC to continue with our after-school program and other services while we are in the midst of a more permanent relocation," SMC Board President Jenn Buckley said. "The fact that our temporary home is so close to the space we will be building for the future makes a difficult time much easier. They are a true partner."

SMC has been based in the city-owned old firehouse, located a 90-92 Union Square, for 38 years.

According to Cambridge Day, city officials previously announced that the old firehouse had to close to the public by Aug. 31 for safety reasons. The building suffered significant water intrusion in 2019.

SMC and the building's other tenant, the Massachusetts Alliance for Portuguese Speakers, were told to vacate the old firehouse by Sept. 30, 2023.

The Massachusetts Alliance for Portuguese Speakers, which has been housed in the building for 45 years, has yet to find its next base of operation, according to Cambridge Day.