Update from the MSH Master Plan Communications Committee

The following UPDATE posted on the MSHMPC fb page, written by Jean Mineo and Gil Rodgers.

Restoration success: PHOTOS: Boarding House Park shown on top two photos and Retirement Home shown on bottom two photos - before and after.

Medfield State Hospital Master Plan Committee Update

Ten members of the Medfield State Hospital Master Plan and Resource Committees recently toured the Lowell National Historical Park and held discussions with Peter Aucella, Assistant Superintendent and Stephen Stowell, Historic Board Administrator.

The extensive renovation of this historical textile mill complex -- while differing in many respects from Medfield State Hospital -- offers some insights, lessons, and perspectives that may be applicable to
Medfield’s project

Visit to Lowell, MA

We learned there were three very important factors that made this a successful renovation project for Lowell and the New England area:

1. There was a very clear and strong theme and underlying message that drove the interests in renovation.
Strategically located on the Merrimack and Concord Rivers, Lowell was the birthplace of the American Industrial Revolution epitomizing the booming textile industry at the turn of the 20th century.
Similarly, the Medfield State Hospital has a rich cultural history from this same time-period that needs to be articulated and reflected in its master planning efforts.

2. Two prominent local residents were visionaries that drove the renovation program: Dr. Patrick J. Morgan,
while Superintendent of Schools in Lowell, talked about “the city as a classroom”. US Representative and Senator Paul Tsongas, from Lowell, was city councilor and county commissioner, and during his terms in
Congress authorized the Lowell National Historical Park and became a national advocate of historic preservation. In a similar way Medfield needs such visionaries, spokespeople, and advocates.

3. Many of Lowell’s buildings were in a deplorable condition with roofs collapsing and walls falling down. Yet with the extensive role of the private sector and public-private-partnerships, over a billion dollars has been invested – 94% coming from private sources aided by extensive use of state and Federal tax credits.

Some key points regarding tax credits that can be deal-makers (or deal-breakers) include:

• Historical tax credits are a significant asset for any site designated as historic and just as important from a financial perspective as the underlying physical assets.
• Unlike physical assets, historical assets are fungible and may be sold, traded or transferred among and between legal entities.
• Historical preservation tax credits enable financially challenged rehabilitation projects to be attractive investment opportunities for knowledgeable project managers
• Architects must understand the design constraints and proven techniques for upgrading physical facilities to modern standards without compromising the inherent design features which support the tax credit.
• Federal tax credits are administered by the National Park Service. Their standards and methods are reasonably predictable; the statutory maximum credit is 20%.
• State tax credits are administered the Massachusetts Historical Commission. This agency is not as predictable as the National Park Service and they almost never grant the statutory maximum 20% credit.
• In addition to historic tax credits, the development companies in Lowell used a variety of other tax credits, grants and funds from federal, state and other sources.
• Experienced development companies find it easier to finance historic preservation than new construction.

While Lowell is quite different from Medfield, the lessons learned may be applicable to planning and reuse of Medfield State Hospital. Several development companies we met on the tour with significant experience in
historic preservation expressed their interest in opportunities for Medfield State Hospital.