Local
Somerville Theatre operators buy Davis Square landmark, launch fundraiser
A four-person group of longtime theater workers and a local film supporter has bought the Somerville Theatre building, securing the cinema, Crystal Ballroom and Mr. Crêpe. The new owners are seeking community donations to help pay short-term debt from the purchase.
The Somerville Theatre’s future in Davis Square is more secure after a group of four longtime local theater figures bought the building at 55 Davis Square. The sale covers the 840-seat cinema, the upstairs Crystal Ballroom and the corner café Mr. Crêpe, ending months of uncertainty after the property was listed for sale in July for $12 million.
The buyers are CSB Theatres: Somerville Theatre manager Ian Judge, Capitol Theatre manager Jamie Mattchen, veteran employee Jay O’Leary and local film supporter Ian Brownell. The group also negotiated a 20-year lease extension for the Capitol Theatre in Arlington, which had been listed for sale alongside the Somerville property.
Judge said the purchase is a major responsibility but an opportunity to preserve the venues for future generations. CSB was formed in January 2025, after the Fraiman family, which had owned and operated the Somerville and Capitol theaters for more than four decades, decided to leave the movie business. CSB initially acquired the theaters’ leases and liquor licenses.
The group’s members work directly in the venues, handling jobs from concessions and building maintenance to programming. Judge, who grew up near the Somerville Theatre, said preserving neighborhood theaters matters because historic cinemas can otherwise be left vacant or converted to other uses. He warned that a change in ownership could have threatened the Somerville’s repertory-film programming.
The theater presents new releases alongside repertory screenings, including an annual 70mm and Widescreen Festival and monthly silent-film events with live musical accompaniment. Its main auditorium has a 30-foot screen and projection systems for 35mm, 70mm and digital formats. The venue also hosts live music; past performers include U2 and Bruce Springsteen.
Judge said an anonymous backer provided financing for the down payment on generous terms, with Brownell also helping. CSB has started a GoFundMe campaign to reduce the purchase’s immediate short-term debt and plans to establish a nonprofit arm in 2027.
Mattchen said the strong response when the properties went on the market showed that residents care about the theaters. The owners say their long-term prospects depend on local audiences and support, rather than celebrity fundraising.