Framingham Council Questions Perini Building Deal Details

FRAMINGHAM, MA — The Framingham mayor's intention to buy the Perini Building to house city offices ran head-first into a barrage of questions from City Councilor's during the Tuesday night meeting.

At the meeting, the mayor's office asked the Council to approve a three-month temporary lease extension for school department offices located at the Perini Building. The city's lease for the space expires at the end of January, and the short extension would allow the Council to consider a longer lease.

But some Councilors questioned the wisdom of approving the three-month extension because the city's current lease allows for a one-year extension. In fact, school officials in October asked the building owner to exercise that option.

Thatcher Kezer, Mayor Yvonne Spicer's chief operating officer, said the one-year extension might be "problematic" as the mayor's office negotiates to buy the building.

"Our goal is we purchase the building," Kezer said. "We've all been working to that effect."

But late last fall, the city put out a request-for-proposals (RFP) for a new lease for the school department offices. The Perini Building owner was the only one to submit a bid. The new five-year lease has already been negotiated, but needs Council approval. The three-month extension was supposed to allow Councilors time to digest either the new lease or a possible purchase — but some Councilors felt three months was not long enough.

"We're talking about making a multigenerational decision," District 8 Councilor John Stefanini said. "Ninety days seems like we're going to be in a pressure cooker that's self-imposed."

Councilors also highlighted an environmental problem with the building, which might complicate negotiations. The site is contaminated by petroleum runoff, and the state Department of Environmental Protection has imposed an activity and use limitation (AUL) on the building. The building can't house uses that involve children, like a daycare center, among other activities.

To buy more time, District 6 Councilor Philip Ottaviani moved to extend the lease for one year instead of three months. That failed on a 5-5-1 vote. The Council then voted 9-1-1 to do nothing, leaving the school department's lease to expire at the end of January. After a brief recess, the Council voted to bring back Ottaviani's motion, and unanimously approved a one-year lease extension.

Meanwhile, Spicer has committed to buying the Perini Building. She held two public forums on the matter in late 2019. The building is assessed at just over $11 million, but the mayor's office has not discussed a purchase price in public.

"I believe the acquisition of the Perini building is the right move for us as a city. It will solve many challenges, such as space limitations and parking, and will provide a permanent home for the school department," she said during her Jan. 16 "state of the city" address.