Committee debates repair, demolition, RFP and public outreach for Old Town Hall

Committee members spent the bulk of the meeting reviewing options and costs for the vacant Old Town Hall and planning public outreach to gather resident input before formal recommendations are made to the select board.

A one-minute AI-generated demo summarized four options: stabilize and pause with a 5–10 year holding plan; solicit private development proposals; pursue partial civic use and lease remaining space; or demolish if the building is structurally unsafe. Members agreed the AI output was a starting point and should be layered with the town master plan, a municipal building conditions assessment and other documents.

Participants cited a prior assessment that put repairs at roughly $7,000,000 and discussed inflationary adjustments (members estimated the figure could be nearer $10,000,000 after recent years). They also discussed carrying costs if the town delays a decision (one member estimated about $70,000 a year in holding costs) and demolition estimates in the mid-six figures. Staff noted monthly utilities for the building run roughly $3,000–$4,000 and that insurance costs can rise for vacant structures.

The committee discussed solicitation strategies: an RFI to collect ideas or a formal RFP to request actionable proposals from developers. Members referenced Jennings Real Estate Services and Westmass (regional partner with past projects such as Ludlow Mills) as potential sources for developer outreach and grant pipelines. One member asked Jeff Daley from Westmass to present options at a future meeting.

For public input, the committee agreed to use multiple channels: Facebook groups, senior center outreach, printed mailings or flyers, library survey boxes with QR codes, school-parent communications (EdConnect), and at least one public meeting. A member volunteered to manage social media outreach (motion assigned to Amy and treated as approved by consensus). The committee scheduled a follow-up meeting and tasked subcommittee members with drafting survey questions.

Next steps: draft and approve survey questions at the next meeting, invite external presenters (including Westmass), prepare a public meeting, and continue refining the AI-assisted analysis. No final decisions about repair, demolition or sale were made.