Development Proposals For Former Foxboro Firehouse Under Review

FOXBOROUGH, MA — The economic development committee will meet Wednesday night to review proposals for new businesses at the site of the former Foxborough fire station/funeral home.

The town received four proposals from developers by the Feb. 15 deadline, all of which would be a mixed-use development if approved. All four proposals included a restaurant and residential units, making them in line with with town officials' redevelopment vision, the Sun Chronicle reported.

The four proposals came from the following developers:

• Crugnale Properties, LLC of Mansfield: $400,000 bid
• Gibson Corner Realty Trust of Foxboro: $250,000
• Douglas A. King Builders Inc. of North Easton: $405,000
• MPZ Development LLC of Milton/Traggorth Companies LLC of Boston: $400,000

Crugnale Properties bid has since been disqualified because information in the bid requirements was omitted, Town Manager William Keegan told the Sun Chronicle. The remaining three proposals will be reviewed by the economic development committee. Unlike the auction process that municipalities are required to follow with public buildings such as schools and police stations, Foxborough is not required to accept the highest bid, and can evaluate each developer on its own merits.

"It will be their ( the economic development committee's) recommendation as to which proposers will be interviewed before the Board of Selectmen as a finalist," Keegan told Patch.

The three remaining proposals all would demolish the funeral home, while MPZ Development also proposes razing the former fire station and building on the property from scratch. If the King proposal is accepted, the developers plan to partner with Shovel Town Brewery in Easton to build a second location with some of its own unique beers exclusive to Foxborough. Gibson is proposing partnering with Kitchen Partners LLC, the same company that opened the Union Straw restaurant at the former American Legion Hall on Mechanic Street. MPZ's proposal is more of a concept, not specifying a specific partner at this time.

"I think there are some very interesting concepts being proposed and all of the proposers have good experience in projects with similar alignments," Keegan told Patch.

Wednesday night's meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m., at the Public Safety Building at 8 Chestnut St.