Long-planned Nubian Square jazz club finally secures funding

Business

Launched almost 10 years ago by Berklee professor and record-label owner Bill Banfield, the restaurant and community arts space now has $2.5 million to move forward.

The exterior of the Bruce C. Bolling Municipal Building in 2020. Jessica Rinaldi / The Boston Globe, File

A long-planned jazz club in Nubian Square is finally moving forward after organizers secured $2.5 million to open the venue and restaurant in the heart of Roxbury.

The project, the Jazz Urbane Cafe, was launched nearly a decade ago by Bill Banfield, a record-label owner and Berklee professor, who aims to create an urban arts hub showcasing local and national musicians, complete with a full restaurant and event space.

“We believe our company will be a force in contributing to how the next iterations of cultural development in Boston will be implemented,” Banfield said in a statement.

He continued, “The Jazz Urbane Cafe is positioned at the center of Nubian, in the heartbeat of the city, where we can serve and uplift the soul of our great city and be a temple for the entire community.”

The financing package includes a $380,000 equipment loan from MassDevelopment, a $1.63 million loan from M&T Bank, $450,000 in credit enhancement from Boston, and a guarantee from The Boston Foundation.

The Jazz Urbane Cafe is leasing about 8,000 square feet of space on the first floor of the city-owned Bruce C. Bolling Municipal Building at 2300 Washington St.

The cafe will seat 200 guests and include a semi-circle stage surrounded by seating, two informal lounge areas, two bars, and a private dining room.

Previously, the cafe applied for one of the four non-transferable liquor licenses granted to the Bolling building.

Jazz Urban Cafe did not immediately respond to a request asking when the venue will open.

News of the center broke out in then-Mayor Marty Walsh’s 2019 State of the City address, where he promised a family-friendly restaurant, entertainment venue, and meeting space for Roxbury, Boston magazine reported. The Jazz Urban Cafe filed for incorporation with the state in 2017.

The city invested $115 million to open the Bolling building in 2015 to help spark the neighborhood’s revitalization.

The building houses the headquarters of Boston Public Schools and now includes Dudley Cafe, Haley House soup kitchen, and various other small businesses located next to the bus center.

“Boston’s local businesses create vibrancy and community, and bolster the economy in every neighborhood,” Mayor Michelle Wu said in a statement. “I’m thrilled to celebrate Jazz Urbane’s opening in Nubian Square as a new hub of music, economic opportunity, and community.”

Beth Treffeisen is a general assignment reporter for Boston.com, focusing on local news, crime, and business in the New England region.

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