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Tag: Department of Planning and Development

  • Public money woos private investment in Frontrunner City Initiative

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    LOWELL — To represent Lowell on the world stage takes money, and city leadership is investing significant personnel and financial resources in a yearlong effort to bring United Nations-led investment and development to the city through its Frontrunner City for Urban Transformation designation.

    For a seat at the global table — in Geneva, Switzerland and Toronto, Canada — as well as to meet the numerous requirements in the memorandum of understanding signed with the Urban Economy Forum in August, the city has had to front considerable costs for travel, for documents and for access.

    Although the goal of those investments is clear — to position Lowell, the first city in the United States to receive Frontrunner City status, with international private development — what’s not clear, is how much taxpayer funds the city has actually invested.

    “The Frontrunner City Program is a tremendous opportunity for Lowell,” City Manager Tom Golden said by email Oct. 24. “It aligns directly with the Lowell Forward Master Plan, our Green Community designation, and our zoning and infrastructure reforms. It has already opened doors to international partnerships, philanthropic interest, and potential foreign direct investment that would otherwise be out of reach for the City of Lowell.”

    At the Oct. 28 City Council meeting, Councilor Erik Gitschier’s motion requested Golden provide the council with “a detailed report on all expenditures for the frontrunner city, including the program, travel and any other expenses.”

    That response is pending, but a look at publicly available records shows costs associated with marketing and publicity, council-approved travel expenses, UEF filings and documents, as well as broker and conference fees associated with Lowell’s participation in UEF that could exceed $1 million.

    Mayor Dan Rourke kicked off Lowell’s participation last September by attending UEF-6 in Toronto, for an international conference on financing sustainable tourism. Rourke participated as a speaker in the mayoral roundtable and his nominal travel expenses amounted to $1,300.

    “I believe this opportunity will greatly benefit our community by enhancing the City of Lowell visibility,” he said in his out-of-state travel request.

    It was at that meeting that Rourke first learned of the Frontrunner City opportunity.

    One month later, eight people were approved for out-of-state travel to attend the Front Runner Community Initiative Program in Toronto for almost $4,000. The UEF covered the travel costs for hotel, flights and lodging.

    This past February, the City Council voted to appropriate $750,000 from free cash to support economic development initiatives, including promoting the Frontrunner City Initiative.

    Free cash is composed in part of unspent, unencumbered appropriations from the prior fiscal year.

    By July, the city was hosting a UEF and World Pavilion delegation. It is not known how much the UEF contributed toward their visit, nor how much Lowell expensed to host them, which included group meals at the Athenian Corner and Cobblestones restaurants, the latter at which a memorandum of understanding was signed by the city with the UEF.

    During their three-day site visit to Lowell, the Department of Planning and Development pitched the UEF team on a dozen development sites including the Hamilton Canal Innovation District off Dutton Street in Downtown Lowell; both the vacant District and Superior Courthouses on Hurd and Gorham streets, respectively; the Gallagher Terminal area where the city owns vacant land; the South Common area in Back Central; and other locations.

    But the focus was on the development opportunities in the Jackson, Appleton and Middlesex streets area.

    “Lowell’s JAM+ project represents an area ready for transformation and includes infill housing opportunities, new retail and commercial opportunities, improved open space and recreation, improved transit and connections, and a potential geothermal project,” Assistant City Manager/DPD Director Yovani Baez-Rose said in a memo to the City Council.

    To attend the UEF and World Urban Forum at the United Nations Palais des Nations in Geneva in August, the city shelled out $33,258 to cover the costs of 11 people — seven councilors and four staff members, including Golden.

    The business trip may have included some incidental costs paid by the UEF or other partner associations, which were not disclosed.

    “Following the formal announcement of the City of Lowell as the first United States Frontrunner City, we have received outreach and communications from global businesses interested in working with Lowell and the Urban Economy Forum,” Baez-Rose said in an Oct. 7 memo. “The city’s Communications staff have been working closely with the UEF on press coverage for this continued partnership.”

    Lowell leadership returned to Toronto for more Frontrunner discussions Sept. 17-18. One week later, Lowell was represented at the Global Expert Meeting in Toronto by Rourke and Department of Public Works Sustainability Director Katherine Moses. Out-of-state travel costs could not be determined for this trip, which may have come out of free cash.

    In October, Lowell leadership again traveled to Toronto to attend the seventh annual Urban Economy Forum, a global event dedicated to reshaping urban economies. The almost $10,000 cost to the city was offset by the UEF covering some unspecified incidental costs.

    Golden, Rourke, DPD Deputy Director Camilo Espitia, Assistant City Manager for Fiscal Affairs/Chief Financial Officer Conor Baldwin and Councilors Corey Belanger, Corey Robinson, Paul Ratha Yem and Sokhary Chau attended the conference.

    The JAM project discussed in July is still in the draft phase, but it was presented during the UEF-7 sessions, which included global investors.

    Some incidental costs the UEF may not have covered was the $13,000 to register for the conference, as well as other costs to participate in the sessions and forums.

    In addition to an initial outlay of $12,000 in marketing collateral to promote the city, Lowell has purchased other public relations collateral in various real estate and financial outlets, not all of which has been disclosed to date.

    “It is important to emphasize that the city has not paid the UEF for a title or designation,” Golden said in his October email. “Rather, we have invested in the infrastructure necessary to support our role as a Frontrunner City. This includes the creation of a comprehensive profile of the City of Lowell to be used to attract investors. These are investments in capacity, not fees.”

    Golden emphasized that financial outlays were investments similar to creating Lowell’s Master Plan.

    “Lowell’s designation as the first U.S. Frontrunner City was not purchased — we are continuing to work and earn it,” he said. “It reflects over 12 months of work by our planning, sustainability, and economic development teams, and it positions our city to compete globally for resources and recognition. There has been continuous communication and collaboration between the city and UEF staff throughout this time.”

    The council is expected to receive an update on its Frontrunner City investment status in the coming weeks, and Golden told the council at its Oct. 28 meeting that a dashboard will be posted to the city’s website soon “with everything that’s been happening with the Frontrunner City.”

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    Melanie Gilbert

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  • Lowell’s old District Court faces uncertain future

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    LOWELL — Wall clocks were stopped at random times in the rooms throughout the vacant Lowell District Court at 41 Hurd St. The two public phone booths — from which visitors made calls before the age of cellphones — were missing the actual phone sets. And the water to the drinking fountain was shut off.

    But the ancient heating system was pumping out warm air on a chilly October morning, and the lights were working, giving a small group a toasty and safe way to navigate the sprawling courthouse buildings Thursday.

    The public tour was arranged by the Department of Planning and Development under the terms of the request for proposal issued by the city in August.

    “The RFP presents a unique opportunity for mixed-use development with the focus on residential development located in the downtown of the city of Lowell,” Asset Manager George Coulouras said at the onset of the self-guided tour. “We welcome you all here. If you have any questions, please direct them to the Purchasing Department.”

    The two-story courthouse is actually two buildings. The original courthouse, closest to George Street, is a Federal Revival brick structure built in 1925 and expanded west toward Central Street in 1969. The almost 32,000-square-foot property included seven courtrooms and chambers as well as the Clerk of Court, Probation and other court support functions.

    The District Court parcel has been vacant since 2020 when the new Lowell Justice Center, later renamed the Cornelius F. Kiernan Judicial Center, opened on Jackson Street. The work of the District Court and the Superior Court on Gorham Street were moved to the gleaming seven-story, 265,000-square-foot modern building that March.

    The City Council tasked City Manager Tom Golden with exploring ways to take control of and utilize state and local buildings for housing or other uses.

    Last year, the city took possession of the District Court property when Lowell’s legislative delegation secured passage of a home rule petition allowing the city to acquire the vacant Hurd and Gorham street courthouses. So far, the city has only exercised its option on the District Court site.

    Once the city received the title to the property, the DPD put out a request for proposal in August, the first step in soliciting companies to develop the property.

    The hulking property is not without its challenges or expense. With last year’s agreement, the city assumed the operating costs of the building, and the fiscal 2025 budget allocated $200,000 to cover utility costs alone. The city also assumed all staffing and maintenance of the building, including plowing, cutting the grass, and trash removal and security, such as regular patrols and security fencing.

    Although the structure isn’t as waterlogged as the long-neglected Smith Baker Center on Merrimack Street, across from City Hall, and lacks the pervasive moldy, mildewy smell of that building, the courthouse shows many signs of decay due mostly to water infiltration.

    In 2020, a facility evaluation study commissioned by the Middlesex Trial Court identified existing infrastructure issues with the building.

    “The roof appears to require replacement, and there is evidence of water intrusion in several parts of the building,” the report said. “The buildings have many level changes with small flights of stairs between the various portions of the facility.”

    This reporter experienced those infrastructure challenges firsthand, climbing up stairs in order to go down a level, squeezing through narrow passageways and observing significant water damage in the walls and ceilings. There were numerous grade changes that were potential hazards.

    Although the newer side of the complex features more open spaces, the entire structure is a rabbit-warren of halls, stairwells, cubbyholes and doors — lots and lots of doors. The structure lacks modern conveniences like wiring for high-speed internet; energy-efficient heating systems; no air conditioning in the original wing; outdated bathrooms; and the structure is not compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

    The interior space did not look vandalized — no graffiti was seen, there were no broken windows and the wiring, plumbing and mechanical systems appeared to be intact. But some interior doors were heavily fortified and a mini encampment was seen, ironically, in the old prisoner intake room in the basement that overlooked the six jail cells. Remnants included a pile of blankets, clothes, spoiled food, a dead phone and a broken crack pipe.

    Grafitti marked the exterior building and lots of trash littered the fenced-in grounds. The outdoor stairwell entrance off the back parking lot appeared to be a shooting gallery as the area was filled with needle caps and other drug paraphernalia. Syringe Collection Program Coordinator Andres Gonzalez picked up needles from that area following the tour.

    Despite its frozen-in-time charm, it’s hard to imagine how the space can be repurposed for anything, much less housing. Even the 2020 report acknowledged that “The layout of the building limits the adaptability and flexibility of the courthouse for other uses.”

    Elsewhere the report, which was available to the city before its acquisition, noted that the building would be “extremely difficult” to renovate “due to the condition and layout of the building,” and the “comprehensive nature of the renovations required.”

    The property is not listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

    The appraised value of the property is listed as almost $6.5 million. In 2020, demolition of the building was expected to cost $800,000, which no doubt is much higher in today’s market. Unless a potential developer assumes those costs, as owner, the city now bears full fiscal and physical responsibility.

    Local historian and former Middlesex North Register of Deeds Richard Howe worked in the courthouse during his early career as a lawyer.

    “I spent nearly every working day from 1986 to 1995 inside the building,” Howe said by email. “That was the court-appointed public defender phase of my legal career (pre-register of deeds) so I know the building well. It is maze-like and probably best torn down since it’s not significant architecturally.”

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    Melanie Gilbert

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  • HCID housing, retail development poised for take off

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    LOWELL — UMass Lowell hasn’t broken ground yet on its $800-million Lowell Innovation Network Corridor project, and the potential billion-dollar Frontrunner City Initiative is still in early stages, but the city’s Hamilton Canal Innovation District is having a moment.

    At its Sept. 9 meeting, the City Council unanimously approved access agreements with two major developers – Wexford Development and Winn Companies.

    “Wexford is proposing the development of a 75,000-square-foot research and development facility,” City Manager Tom Golden said in a Sept. 4 memo to the council.

    The HCID area is adjacent to Lowell’s downtown and within the boundaries of three historic districts: the Lowell National Historical Park and Preservation District, the Downtown Lowell Historic District, and the Locks and Canals Historic District.

    It is a critical part of the Jackson/Appleton/Middlesex urban renewal plan and the Thorndike/Dutton Street entry corridor to the city. It has a direct route to the Gallagher Transportation Terminal less than a mile away.

    It is also within walking distance to UMass Lowell’s LINC project, an 80% private and 20% publicly funded project that will build out the university’s East Campus footprint. The university hopes to break ground on a three-phased building plan that blends industry, infrastructure and housing. The groundbreaking for Phases 1 and 2 are to take place this year, with a two-year timeframe for completion.

    But the vacant HCID parcels have struggled to attract developers with the vision and scope to build out the centrally located and high-profile parcels.

    Wexford Science & Technology, which is pulling together the ambitious LINC project, is known for its mixed-use, amenity-rich, innovation-focused communities blending industry/university community models. It responded to a request for proposal on the three-phased housing-retail LINC project that UMass Lowell sent out more three years ago.

    “Wexford Development continues to have interest in developing parcel 15 in the Hamilton Canal Innovation District (HCID),” Golden said. “It is our hope this due diligence work will result in the successful negotiation of a Land Disposition Agreement for this parcel.”

    A formal land disposition agreement with Wexford is when the purchase price to the land would be agreed upon.

    At the same meeting, the council also unanimously approved the execution of an extended temporary access agreement between the city and WinnDevelopment.

    Sometime in 2028 or 2029, WinnDevelopment, the construction arm of the WinnCompanies, hopes to have built 124 apartments in a six- to seven-story, mixed-use building along Dutton Street. The area encompasses Parcels 11 and 12 in the HCID and is located across the Pawtucket Canal.

    The last development within the HCID was WinnCompanies’ 201 Canal Apartments in 2022.

    At the council’s next meeting on Sept. 23, it referred to an Oct. 28 public hearing an ordinance to amend the form-based code on parcels 2, 3A, 4, and 5 in the HCID to allow development by Cabot, Cabot and Forbes, which acquired the properties from the Sal Lupoli Companies.

    In an agreement negotiated by the city, Lupoli sold his undeveloped parcels to CC&F, although he will retain ownership of the $26 million, eight-story, 550-space parking garage on Parcel 1, across from Kiernan Judicial Center on Jackson Street.

    The form-based code specifies what goes on each parcel and has to be submitted to the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities for administrative approval.

    The new developer is proposing to build 270 market rate residential units and 10,000-square-feet of street level retail on the parcels.

    “A form-based code change would allow for a larger building footprint across the parcels and an increase in the maximum building height on parcel 5 – from 70 feet to 85 feet,” Golden said. “Combining parcels 2, 3a, and 4 will create an opportunity to build more housing units, directly addressing Lowell’s growing housing needs of all types.”

    LINC is poised to bring hundreds of units of housing, hundreds of thousands of square feet of commercial space, and a new dormitory to the Mill City. One development will build out land next to the Tsongas Arena, and a counterpart will take place near the Wannalancit Mills.

    Both locations will each add about 300,000-square-foot buildings, about 20 percent of which UMass Lowell will occupy. Companies who want to be close to campus will lease the remaining space.

    “To date, the vision for the HCID that was created over twenty-years ago still resonates,” Assistant City Manager and Director of Planning & Development Yovani Baez-Rose said. “While there have been modifications over time, the creation of new housing, the introduction of retail, and office space is still guiding all ongoing discussions…the district has a lot of momentum at the moment.”

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    Melanie Gilbert

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  • Community Preservation Act funding cycle begins

    Community Preservation Act funding cycle begins

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    LOWELL — The owners of the Wannalancit Mills are asking for almost $97,000 in Community Preservation Act funding to restore the towering, red-brick smokestack off Suffolk Street.

    The 210-foot structure not only acts as a wayfinding beacon during the day, but also doubles as an industrial-sized green-and-white Christmas tree during holiday nights.

    In its application, the Farley White Management Company called the structure “One of Lowell’s ‘Industrial Redwoods.’”

    The project is one of 12 applications totaling $5 million submitted for eligibility consideration during September’s Community Preservation Committee meeting.

    Historically, about $2 million in funding is allocated every year to invest in community housing, preserving open and recreational spaces and historic preservation.

    Chair Adam Baacke reviewed the CPA funding with the nine-member board, which includes Department of Planning and Development Director/Assistant City Manager Yovani Baez-Rose, members of the city’s historic, planning and parks boards, and other appointees.

    “At this time of the year, we’re hearing the eligibility applications and the eligible applicants are then given the opportunity to submit full applications,” Baacke said.

    Past approved projects have included Rollie’s Farm as conservation land and agricultural education, restoring stained glass windows at City Hall and affordable housing projects like Acre Crossing.

    The Community Preservation Act was signed into law more than 20 years ago. In 2019, Lowell voters overwhelming approved putting a 1% surcharge on local property taxes to be used for community preservation projects.

    Exemptions were approved by the city for the first $100,000 of a residential property’s value, full commercial property value and low-income and low- or moderate-income senior homeowners. The city also receives a state match from the commonwealth’s Community Preservation Fund.

    Some of the applicants, like Suffolk Place and Mass Mills IV, are past recipients of CPA funding.

    “They can come to the well as many times as they want,” Baacke said.

    Surprisingly, there were no applications for the recreation or open space category, but several in historic preservation and four requesting funding for affordable housing projects.

    St. Anne’s Episcopal Church submitted a request for $800,000 to restore three historic buildings on its footprint that faces Merrimack Street bounded by the Merrimack Canal on one side and Kirk Street on the other.

    Manny Cavaleiro requested $59,000 to replace the windows in the historic building at 573-579 Lawrence St., home to Cavaleiro’s Steakhouse.

    Historic renovations comply with both the letter and spirt of the CPA law.

    “This funding is collected from all of the taxpayers from the community of Lowell,” Baacke said. “The general impression in this community and other communities in the state is that the historic preservation component of these funds should be used on things that are visible to the community that is paying for them.”

    He noted that the committee has not funded in the past projects that involved site landscape or interior renovations to buildings that didn’t also involve a community housing component.

    Coalition for a Better Acre submitted a request for $500,000 to construct nine affordable homeownership housing units, part of a $5 million project. Committee member Daniel Tenczar questioned that math that he said had each unit costing almost $600,000 per unit.

    “I would say that’s pretty on brand for subsidized housing development per unit cost,” Baez-Rose said. “Pretty standard numbers.”

    That cost metric highlighted the challenges for developers to construct subsidized/affordable-rate housing in the state. Most private housing building projects in the city are for market-rate housing.

    Mass Mills IV applied for an additional $1.5 million in CPA funds to restore the historic Boiler Building and Main Power Plant off Bridge Street and construct community housing.

    The buildings were the scene of a façade collapse last March that dumped tons of bricks on the newly opened Riverwalk along the Merrimack River. The pathway is still closed pending the securing of the buildings and restoration of the damaged walkway.

    The East End Club development, in the city’s Centralville neighborhood, requested $100,000 to construct two affordable housing units. And Suffolk Place applied for $300,000 toward the construction of 33 affordable housing units in the Acre.

    “If we’re fortunate enough, we’ll close in November of this year to commence construction,” said Steve Joncas, a real estate consultant who is working on the Suffolk Place project with the developer.

    The committee voted all 12 applications as eligible.

    “We use our fall meetings to hear presentations, to answer any questions and to ask questions of the applicants,” Baacke said.

    In January the committee will craft its recommendations before submitting the list to the City Council for final funding determination in time for the city’s budget discussion in May.

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    Melanie Gilbert

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  • Veterans Memorial Park opens in Belvidere

    Veterans Memorial Park opens in Belvidere

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    In July, civic leaders and veterans cut the ribbon on the Veterans Memorial Park on Douglas Road in Belvidere. The quarter-acre lot was an underutilized open space that was transformed into a public park to honor and remember Lowell veterans who gave the ultimate sacrifice for their country. The new park honors and recognizes all branches of the United States military.

    Originally Published:

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    Melanie Gilbert

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  • The Five Minute Read

    The Five Minute Read

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    Public feedback for HUD funding programs

    LOWELL — The city Department of Planning and Development invites the public to participate in the review and feedback process for the fiscal 2024-2025 Action Plan to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. This action plan outlines the spending priorities for the Community Development Block Grant, HOME Investment Partnerships Program and Emergency Solutions Grant funds, which work to enhance diversity of the city’s neighborhoods, preserve and create affordable housing and build environmental resilience.

    To view the plan, visit, lowellma.gov/518/Community-Development.

    Comments should be submitted via email to communitydevelopment@lowellma.gov by Wednesday, May 15, at 5 p.m. For more information, call 978-674-4252.

    Flag-raising ceremony

    LOWELL — In addition to the flags customarily flown at JFK Plaza, the city commemorates flags from many countries during the year. On Friday, May 17, at 10 a.m., the public is invited to a flag-raising ceremony for Haiti. The outdoor event is held in front of City Hall, 375 Merrimack St.

    For a list of flag-raising dates, visit bit.ly/3L4y4cC. To schedule a flag-raising ceremony at City Hall, submit an application to the Office of Cultural Affairs and Special Events three to four weeks prior to the date of the flag-raising at bit.ly/3SXcybB. For information, call 978-674-1482 or email rdei@lowellma.gov.

    Open House, food drive

    CHELMSFORD — The Department of Public Works hosts an Open House on Saturday, May 18, between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., at 9 Alpha Road. Attendees can touch a truck and see equipment demonstrations. A kids’ area includes a coloring contest, face painting and other free activities, as well as popcorn and cotton candy.

    As part of Public Works Appreciation Week, which takes place at the end of May each year, the Chelmsford DPW is collecting food for the Chelmsford Food Pantry. Residents are encouraged to help fill a dump truck with donated food. Children enrolled in a Chelmsford school who bring a food donation to the Open House will be entered in a raffle to win a DPW parade escort to school.

    For a list of food donation drop-off points, visit townofchelmsford.us/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=2074.

    This event will occur rain or shine. In the event of rain, the Open House and touch-a-truck will be held indoors. For information, call 978-250-5200 or 978-250-5228.

    Rabies vaccination and microchip clinic

    LOWELL — A rabies inoculation and microchip clinic for dogs and cats will be held at the Lowell Humane Society, 951 Broadway St., from 9 a.m. to noon on Sunday, May 19.

    Owners must bring their pet’s previously issued rabies certificate to the clinic so that veterinarians can determine whether the pet needs either a one- or three-year vaccination series. Pets that have previously received a three-year vaccination at any point in the past may receive another three-year vaccination.

    All dogs must be kept on a fixed — not retractable — leash. Cats must be in carriers. The fee is $20 per animal per vaccine or microchip. Registration required. To register, go to LowellHumaneSociety.org. For information, call 978-452-7781, email info@lowellhumanesociety.org.

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    Melanie Gilbert

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  • Hail Mary pass for Smith Baker Center, ‘Lowell’s Cathedral’

    Hail Mary pass for Smith Baker Center, ‘Lowell’s Cathedral’

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    LOWELL — The fate of the magnificent but derelict and potentially dangerous Smith Baker Center, once called “Lowell’s Cathedral,” was the focus of three motions on the City Council’s agenda Tuesday night, one of which called for it to be torn down.

    “It’s in no condition for anything other than demolition,” Councilor Erik Gitschier said.

    The imposing high Victorian Gothic-style edifice, located at 412 Merrimack St., across from both City Hall and the Pollard Memorial Library, was constructed in 1884 for use as the First Congregational Church.

    The city purchased the four-story, red-brick building in 1975 for $85,000. The building later became home to the Council on Aging and was known as the Smith Baker Center. The COA was relocated to its current location on Broadway Street in 2002, and the building has been vacant ever since. It is one of approximately 363 properties in the city’s portfolio.

    The City Council declared the property surplus in July 2011, and posted at least three requests for proposals, but no deals closed. Coalition for a Better Acre, a nonprofit community organization, considered buying the property in 2018, but could not agree on terms with the city.

    Six years ago, then-CBA Director of Real Estate Craig Thomas told the CBA board that projected development costs were $18 million with the unheated building needing significant site prep work.

    “The building is beautiful and amazing, but it is deteriorating,” Thomas said. “There is significant water damage and it needs to be weatherized and stabilized.”

    Gitschier’s roll-call floor motion failed with only himself and Councilor John Descoteaux voting in favor. Descoteaux said its “time had run out.”

    “The city has done its due diligence,” Descoteaux said. “If I had my druthers, I’d have a wrecking ball on it tomorrow morning. What have we been talking about for the last year? Housing. We need more housing.”

    He advocated for clearing the site for housing development.

    The Department of Planning and Development noted last September that the “DPD does not have a funding source identified that would cover the cost of (hazardous material) abatement and demolition at this time.”

    Councilor Paul Ratha Yem’s motion asked that the city have the appropriate department apply for Massachusetts Preservation Projects Fund grants from the Massachusetts Historical Commission to preserve and restore the building.

    The deed on the property does not limit the city’s ability to sell the property or restrict its reuse options, but the property is listed on the National and State Registers of Historic Places and any action utilizing federal or state funding would require approval by the Massachusetts Historical Commission.

    Additionally, the state will only reimburse up to 50% of expenses of a maximum grant amount of $100,000. A 2018 facility condition assessment estimated capital needs of almost $3 million, which several councilors said the city doesn’t have.

    “… as a city, we cannot afford it,” Councilor Vesna Nuon said.

    The report noted numerous problems including no elevators serving the building and inoperable hot water, electrical, heating and cooling and fire protection systems.

    Six years later, the basement walls, which are the foundation of the entire structure, have a remaining useful life of 10 years, the roof is within one year of its useful life and the interior plaster walls and ceilings and flooring have no useful life remaining. The existing layout and interior components were rated as not being Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant and not to code.

    Last year the city prohibited parking on the west side of the building parallel to Cardinal O’Connell Parkway due to concerns about debris falling off the façade.

    Public safety was raised in Nuon’s motion which asked for a report back from City Manager Tom Golden on the issue.

    Councilors noted boarded up windows, and Gitschier said the space is being used by unhoused people. A reporter visited the site last week and saw unsecured windows allowing both people and the elements into the space.

    “I’m worried that something may happen as we wait,” Nuon said. “What if that building somehow fell down and killed those unhoused people? This building is beyond repair.”

    In 2021, the nearly 140-year-old building was declared unsafe for firefighters to enter. Two red and white X’s are attached to the building, which signifies that unless it’s determined a person is inside, firefighters will battle the fire from outside. It’s one of more than a dozen such properties marked by the Fire Department throughout the city.

    Nuon also submitted a motion in 2022 requesting an update on the Smith Baker building from then-City Manager Eileen Donoghue.

    Then-Assistant City Manager and DPD Director Christine McCall wrote that the building qualified for earmarked funding based on its location within a Transformative Development Initiative district.

    “We see this as a unique opportunity to work with MassDevelopment, community partners, and residents to envision an appropriate reuse of this building and potentially unlock critical funding to rehabilitate the building,” she said.

    The status of that report was not discussed at council, but Golden acknowledged the toll that 20 years of neglect have had on the historic building. He asked to present options to the council at its March 5 meeting.

    “I am extremely concerned with this building, but facing the piece of taking it down is troubling,” he said. “Let me come in with an idea.”

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    Melanie Gilbert

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