Charlestown rehearsal studios to continue serving Boston-area musicians long-term
Special to the Patriot-Bridge
The #ARTSTAYSHERE Coalition, R.J. Kelly, and the Charlestown Rehearsal Studios Tenants Association announced that the 95 music rehearsal studios at 50 Terminal Street in Charlestown, known as Charlestown Rehearsal Studios (CRS), will continue serving Boston-area musicians for the long term.
After R.J. Kelly bought 50 Terminal Street in 2022, they had planned to turn CRS into self-storage, one of their primary businesses. In response, Boston City Councilors Coletta, Braedon, and Fernandes-Anderson held a hearing to address the major losses of music rehearsal communities across Boston and its impact on the arts sector. Over 50 musicians and supporters gave testimony and submitted letters in support of keeping CRS as music rehearsal.
“As we began our extensive renovation plan of the property and started communicating with our current CRS musicians, we were surprised to learn that the music rehearsal sector was having space challenges,” shares Rick Griffin of R.J. Kelly. “We are very pleased that we can provide this needed space and are extremely thankful to the City staff, Boston Fire Department, and CRS Tenant’s Association for working through several challenges and allowing music rehearsal to continue in Charlestown.”
The Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture and Department of Inspectional Service worked closely with the artists in the building and R.J. Kelly to obtain the necessary permits required to make the space safe and allow it to continue to function as a music rehearsal space.
“Arts and culture can transcend language and generational divides to connect us through our shared humanity, so Boston’s artists and creatives serve a critical role in making our city a home for everyone,” said Mayor Michelle Wu. “I’m grateful for R.J. Kelly and their work to support our community’s musicians and the Charlestown Rehearsal Studios as an important creative home for the arts. Thank you to our Councilors and the teams at our Office of Arts and Culture, and Inspectional Services Department for working together to prevent the displacement of these musicians from our community.”
Over recent decades, the Greater Boston region has experienced the loss of many arts and music workspace communities due to sale, redevelopment, and extreme rent increases, including The Piano Factory (Boston’s South End), 550 Amory Street (Boston’s Jamaica Plain), and the EMF Building in Cambridge’s Central Square. When the 40+ studios at Humphreys Street Studios (HSS) became at risk of displacement in 2020, the artists organized an advocacy campaign. Through community support, strategic partnerships, and financial support from City departments, HSS is now majority artist-owned/operated affordable arts workspaces in perpetuity. This same approach proved effective for CRS (which has operated in the same location since 1995), as the tenants formed an association and led an advocacy movement to encourage R.J. Kelly to keep affordable music rehearsal spaces.
“It’s been a long haul, but it’s been deeply satisfying to see what can happen when a group of musicians unites around saving a much needed resource and is met by an owner that sees the i mportance of preserving music workspaces like CRS,” shares Jesse Vengrove, an 8-year CRS tenant, founding member of the CRS Tenants Association, and drummer for Glacier and Greylock. “On behalf of the entire Tenants Association, we are truly grateful to R.J. Kelly, Store-U-Self, and the City of Boston for joining together to keep music rehearsal in Charlestown.”
“R.J. Kelly heard us and did the work necessary to keep our musician community intact,” shares Emily Doran, musician tenant, member of the CRS Tenants Association, and singer in Hammered Saint. “They certainly had the choice not to. We were happy to work with them to make sure they were aware of how many musicians they’re helping stay in Boston — hundreds.”
“As usual,” shares #ARTSTSAYSEHRE’s Ami Bennitt, “The City of Boston comes to the aid of artists and musicians at risk of displacement. The Mayor and many departments are helping
#ARTSTAYSHERE change the trajectory of artist displacement into one of preservation and creation of more. Add CRS to the list of Humphreys Street Studios and the musicians of the former Sound Museum. We are leading a movement and sea change regarding affordable artist workspaces in our region.”
Founded in 1951, RJ Kelly Co. is a vertically integrated CRE investment, management, development, and construction firm. Since its inception more than 70 years ago, the company has invested in and/or developed over 25 million square feet of real estate. R.J. Kelly Co. currently maintains a commercial real estate portfolio of land, office, R&D and flex space, industrial, retail, mixed-use, and self-storage properties though-out New England . https://www.rjk.com/
The CRS Tenants Association serves as a volunteer advocacy group for the musician tenants at Charlestown Rehearsal Studios, located at 50 Terminal Street in Charlestown. They endeavor to protect and preserve the space for affordable music rehearsal use, nurture the internal CRS community, and connect with the external Charlestown and Greater Boston area arts community. https://www.crsta.org/