An Opportunity for Waltham’s Empty Storefronts

To the Editor,

As a Waltham resident, I’ve watched a number of new mixed-use developments go up across the city over the past several years. The renderings always look great – cafés on the ground floor, people gathering, small shops adding life to the street. They paint a picture of a walkable, connected community.

But the ground-floor spaces stay empty.

I don’t pretend to know all the financial realities behind commercial leases, but it feels like a missed opportunity, especially in a city like ours. We have two universities – Bentley, one of the nation’s leading business schools, and Brandeis, with strengths in research, economics, and public policy. We also have an engaged small-business community and the Waltham High School Culinary Arts program training students with real talent and ambition.

Other cities have found creative ways to activate vacant storefronts. In San Francisco, a program called Vacant to Vibrant has helped fill empty spaces with short-term pop-ups that allow entrepreneurs to test ideas without committing to long leases. In Cincinnati, the Main Street Pop-Up Program has used flexible, lower-risk leases to bring energy back to empty storefronts.

Why couldn’t we try something similar here?  Even six- to twelve-month “micro-leases” could make a difference. A rotating pop-up model or shared marketplace could lower costs for small vendors. And imagine a student-run café supported by the Waltham High School Culinary Arts program, working alongside Bentley and Brandeis students studying business, marketing, economics, or public policy. It would give students hands-on experience and give residents a place to gather, all while bringing life to spaces that currently sit dark.

This isn’t about blaming developers or city officials. It’s about asking whether we can think creatively together. Waltham has the people, the institutions, and the energy to make these spaces work better for the community.

If we want the lively streetscapes we see in those early renderings, maybe it’s time to explore new approaches to get there.

Sincerely,
Jamie Laviano
Waltham