Selectmen Unanimously Vote To Sell Memorial Building, Danforth Building

Framingham Selectmen unanimously voted to sell the Memorial Building, the Danforth Building, and the Pearl Street garage to the state, so the Commonwealth can create a new Mass Bay Community College campus in downtown Framingham.

Any potential sale of the properties would need to be first accepted by the state, and eventually approved by Framingham Town Meeting.

Framingham Town Manager Bob Halpin announced the vote and the plan to submit a request for proposals (RFP) to the Commonwealth, at the start of the Fall Special Town Meeting Tuesday night.

​Framingham Selectmen voted 4-0 (Jason Smith was not at the meeting), in favor of submitting a proposal to sell the properties to Massachusetts.

​T​he ​Town of Framingham ​plans to submit a proposal to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts’ Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance by its Halloween deadline.

The estimated $60 million new campus project calls for Mass Bay to move from its current Flagg Drive campus in Framingham in the Warren/Oaks neighborhood, and move to a new campus in downtown Framingham by the year 2018.

​The Commonwealth began to solicit proposals in July - stating it was looking for a 2 to 9 acre campus, in a specific area of downtown Framingham. Click here, to view the map where the state wants to accept properties.​

​Halpin said if the state agrees to purchase the trio of properties, the town hopes to get enough money to purchase new office space to house both municipal offices and Framingham Public School administrative offices, in the future.

The deadline to submit proposals to the state is October 31 at 3 p.m.

The state will then review the Town of Framingham’s proposal, along with other proposals submitted, and make a decision on which properties fit their needs sometime in 2015.

Ironically, if the state agrees to purchase the Town of Framingham properties, Town Meeting members will cast the deciding vote to sell inside Nevins Hall in the Memorial Building.

​Halpin said Framingham began to ask if it could afford to stay in the Memorial Building in June.

​Built in 1926, the Memorial Building was dedicated in 1928.

The building, located at the corner of Concord Street and Union Avenue, is considered by many to be the cornerstone of downtown Framingham. It houses many municipal departments, including the Town Manager’s office, and it is where Selectmen hold its meetings.

In the lobby of the Memorial Building, is an area dedicated to Framingham’s veterans. Halpin said the proposal to the state would include a preservation easement, which would permit access to that Veterans Memorial area.

In a presentation to Framingham Selectmen Tuesday night, Halpin said the Memorial Building is “structurally sound” but in ”fair condition.

The estimated cost to upgrade the building to meet the needs of the Town of Framingham is $24 million, according to the presentation.

Earlier this year, Framingham Public Schools said it wanted to lease the Perini Building at $328,000 a year for 5 years as it was losing its current administrative office space, due to the opening of the town’s ninth elementary school at the King Building.

Selectmen voted 4-1 to not approve that lease, over the summer.

If the state accepts the Town of Framingham RFP, the town would likely need to vacate the Memorial Building by 2016, said Halpin, in order for Mass Bay to meet its new campus deadline of 2018.

Mass Bay currently leases the former Farley School on Flagg Drive. Its lease ends in 2015, but Halpin said it will likely be extended to 2018.

Inside the Danforth Building, presently is Danforth Art Museum & School, the Performing Arts Center of MetroWest, the Boys & Girls Clubs of MetroWest Pearl Street Clubhouse, an Artists’ Guild, and the Police Athletic League’s boxing program.

In January, the Town of Framingham, finalized the sale of the Jonathan Maynard Building to Danforth Art Museum & School to move across from the Framingham Centre Common.

Framingham Selectmen unanimously approved the sale of the Jonathan Maynard building at 14 Vernon St., in February of 2013 for $1 million and $500,000 in community services.

Final approval of the sale was granted by Framingham Town Meeting in May 2013.

Under the agreement, the Museum will honor the town’s lease of space to Framingham State University through 2015, and the Town of Framingham will be granted a 75-year right of first refusal on any future sale of the building.

The Museum hopes to be fully in the Maynard Building sometime in 2016.

Framingham Town Manager said he plans to meet with Fran Hurley, the president of the Boys & Girls Clubs of MetroWest on Wednesday.

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