Egleston Square Main Street, a registered 501(c)3 nationally accredited as a Main Street program since 1997, serves a culturally rich commercial district on the border between Roxbury and Jamaica Plain in Boston.

ESMS is raising $600,000 from private, government, corporate, and foundation funders to purchase and launch community-owned retail space in Egleston Square to help stabilize the neighborhood for small businesses and preserve our local cultures. Expanded programming is designed to help Egleston’s Black, brown, and immigrant entrepreneurs to acquire the skills and resources they need to access capital, buy their own property, and build generational wealth.

Located at 3171 Washington Street in the center of our Main Street district, the 1200 sq. foot commercial storefront condo will be designed as a modular, adaptable storefront that provides much-needed space where local business owners and entrepreneurs can network, attend workshops, access technology and get 1-1 assistance.

The space will include a staff office area and also host co-working and pop-up market hours; a walk-up coffee window to activate the sidewalk, build community, earn revenue, and incubate local cafe operators; and a movable gallery wall for art exhibitions and cultural events.

Opportunities and Needs

Egleston Square is in the JP/ROX Plan corridor, where a rapid increase in market-rate development and a changing real estate market brings both new opportunities and new challenges for our 60+ small businesses that serve low to moderate income, predominantly Latinx markets. The Líderes Comerciantes de Egleston / Egleston Business Leaders launched the fundraising campaign in May 2022.

Timeline

• July ’22: Purchase & Sale Agreement
• Sept ’22: Goal of raising $600K
• Oct-November ’22: Anticipated closing & move
• Nov – Dec ’22: Permitting & buildout

Finances

• $450K – Purchase, below market rate from developers CKI Boston
• $50K – Legal and closing costs
• $100K – Build-out and 1st year expanded occupancy & operations