Framingham Centre Common Cultural District

Framingham Centre Common Cultural District - full logo
Cultural Resources District Map

The City of Framingham is partnering with a number of key local institutions in Framingham Centre to submit an application to the State to designate the Framingham Centre Common Cultural District.

We have made great progress over the past two years on our cultural district designation! On October 3, 2018, we held a public meeting on the district at Edgell Memorial Library. You can view the presentation from that event here. In February of 2019, the City submitted the formal application to the Massachusetts Cultural Council (MCC) for cultural district designation. In the spring of 2019, we worked with a Framingham State University Graphic Design class to develop a logo for the cultural district.

We held a site visit with the MCC on November 26, 2019. As part of that site visit, we held a community conversation about the cultural district at Volturno. We had over 80 Framingham residents and business members attend! Community Conversation Photos Joel Winett 01Anita Walker, director of the MCC, stated that it was the biggest turnout she had ever seen for one of the community conversations. The MCC will hold their January 28, 2020 board meeting in Framingham, where it is anticipated that they will vote to approve our Framingham Centre Common Cultural District.

Background
The Framingham Centre Common Cultural District will be located in the area of our historic Centre Common, which is anchored by several of the City’s most significant cultural organizations. Our founding partner organizations include the Framingham History Center, Framingham State University, and the Danforth Art Museum – which will shortly relocate to their new home in the Jonathan Maynard Building.

This designation would further the following goals:

  • Attract artists and cultural enterprises
  • Encourage business and job development
  • Establish the district as a tourist destination
  • Preserve and reuse historic buildings
  • Enhance property values
  • Foster local cultural development

The key benefit will be a focused effort to coordinate programs, events, and outreach for the district and the constituent institutions. We hope to create a space in and around the Centre Common where arts, culture, and history are elevated and celebrated and serve to draw visitors from around the region.

We have established district boundaries according to Mass Cultural Council guidelines that correspond roughly to a walkable district in which nothing is more than 10 minutes away on foot. This district includes over 100 businesses that will benefit from the collaboration and increased visitors to the area.

There are a number of ways to participate, including:

  • Sign up for our mailing list for news from the District.
  • Follow the FCCCD and the individual member institutions on social media.
  • Link to the institution websites and help cross-promote events with your customers.
  • Attend cultural events and encourage others to do so.