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The Selectmen are hoping to attract interest in the Adams Memorial Middle School.

Adams Seeking Interest In Memorial Middle School

By Andy McKeever
iBerkshires Staff
09:35AM / Thursday, January 26, 2012

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ADAMS, Mass. — There are a ton of ideas about what the town could do with the Adams Memorial Middle School once it takes the building over this fall and officials want to know them all.

The town's Community Development Department will be sending out a request for expressions of interest on the school building next week to find out if there are interested developers and figure out what could be possible with the building. Town officials are also asking for residents and organizations to express their interest and ideas.

The results will be presented at a public hearing with what hopes to be a clearer picture of possible usages.

"A perfect example of the type of stuff that would help for feedback is the Police Athletic League or the church's basketball league wants to use the gym," Town Administrator Jonathan Butler said on Wednesday. "Everything from buying the entire property and turning it into a paper mill to renting a couple rooms and running a youth program [we want to hear]."

The RFEI will be the focus for developers and it outlines the condition and specs of the school, town features and asks for developer ideas and information. The town is accepting any ideas but does stipulate that it wants to retain the Valley Street fields as public space.

That will help guide the town's future planning to release a request for proposals next spring.

"I think you can call this an information-gathering mission," Butler said. "The goal is to find out what's real and what's not."

The town hopes to get developer responses back by March 9 and will be hosting a site visit on Feb. 22. Without the RFEI, Butler said only non-profit companies have shown interest in the property.

Selectman Michael Ouellette said townspeople should have all the information in front of them and broken down into what each idea will do for tax rates and services. From there, they should make a decision on which way to prioritize the town's efforts. He also encouraged the department to advertise the building in major cities to help find interested parties. While it can be costly to advertise in those cities, Ouellette said it would be worth it.

The middle school is currently being used while Hoosac Valley High School is being renovated. Once that construction is complete, the town will retain ownership.

Adams Memorial School RFEI

Tags: Adams Memorial Middle School,

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Expand the housing from next door. Adams' one commodity is a huge supply of older folks...
from:	on: 01-26-2012 11:36AM I Agree (16) - I Disagree (2)
Editor: Let's face it, Adams isn't the only community with a huge supply.
I Agree (13) - I Disagree (1)

More section 8 housing! That's what Adams is good at!
from: amused	on: 01-26-2012 03:40PM I Agree (2) - I Disagree (12)

i think the charter school should step up and purchase a school building with all facilities for their students, which they don't have now.
from:	on: 01-26-2012 07:47PM I Agree (6) - I Disagree (1)

The new Spruces!
from: idea	on: 01-26-2012 08:53PM I Agree (1) - I Disagree (9)

I agree. Growing up in Adams I remember going to the nursing home next to the Baptist church to visit family. With the amount of elderly in our area, a nursing/assisted living home for Adams and Cheshire would benefit the folks who need those services. Not to mention making it that much easier on the family members to visit and keep an eye on who their loved ones are doing.
from: from Adams	on: 01-27-2012 08:42AM I Agree (9) - I Disagree (3)

Whatever they do with it, I hope it doesn't supply a lot of traffic like it does now with the games and students. Living on Vally Street has been quite an eye opener this school year. I couldn't have company if I wanted since when there is a function at the school I'm lucky I can make it into my own driveway. Not to mention the debris that has made its way onto my lawn this year!! So keep BART out and any other school thoughts please!!
from: Concerned	on: 01-27-2012 12:46PM I Agree (0) - I Disagree (16)

@Concerned ...Yes heaven forbid they do something that is popular, or even something that may bring in people and revenue. People wanting to spend money are an inconvenience right?. In fact, they should demo the building so the people of Valley Street get a better view... It seems people are willing to buy a house next to a school or a bar or a commercial property with the delusional expectation that they can then change that current use to better suite their needs. Go live in the woods if you want quiet...
from: sigh*	on: 01-27-2012 02:16PM I Agree (18) - I Disagree (0)

No offense to the old folks, but what the downtown needs is vibrancy! Whatever gets put in the space should be something that has a community use aspect to it so that there is a constant stream of people in and out, who will hopefully walk around, stop into the stores, restaurants, etc. spend money and help the downtown thrive.
from: resident	on: 01-27-2012 02:41PM I Agree (10) - I Disagree (0)

Turn it into a non-profit newspaper and coffee shop. Williamstown eat your heart out...
from: amused	on: 01-27-2012 03:15PM I Agree (1) - I Disagree (3)

i think it should be turned into a video game place.Something to try to keep the kids off the streets and out of the drug scene.There is nothing in this town for the teenage kids,except back roads,booze and drugs.What kid doesn;t like x-box and vedio games?..Just saying...
from:	on: 02-01-2012 05:29AM I Agree (1) - I Disagree (1)

Where would the money come from to convert it?? Town budgets are coming up. What ppl think to cut the police dept. again??? Won't happen. Or turn it into a parking lot, like everything else. and I don't think Adams has P.A.L. (Police Athletic Accociation). They cut the few years back. Don't see much happening with. Turning into aparments won't bring revenue to the town. Time to think how to keep this town running or we won't have a town of adams anymore. Need a consistant revenue and not section 8 for that building. Way too much work and cost to convert it into homes. State, Federal, and town don't have the money. Keep the money in the school system. Maybe BaRT should look into. That might help. But the town should own the building and have them pay rent. Might be a public school, but private funding.
from: ???	on: 02-01-2012 08:10PM I Agree (0) - I Disagree (0)

Lets tare down the building. Then we'd be losing more and more history in the town. Valley Street is public parking, First come first served. So if you don't have the parking for company, not the school nor the towns fault. Thats all people have to say it demo it. But you know what this is a small town and if you keep taring things down, what would be left to show our town?? NOTHING!!! Historical places in the town keep getting less and less and less. So that my 2 cents. I've lived in the town my whole life, and people want to do it demo everything. Are you going to pay for this to happen? Prolly not. So time to step up and save our town. Time to bring this town back. But the only way this can happen if the residents step up and help, insted of taking our tour for granted and people who run it.. ie: Police Dept., Town Government, DPW. Lets just keeping taking money away from them. That's all i see here. Now ask yourself this, Would you put on a bullet proof vest and defend our town? Prolly not. Think of money and where it would come from to demo a building, or remolding it, i know people will say to cut budgets. Not happening. If someone is to mentioned a fund raiser, you won't get much. What's a $1??? If you want this town kept up and done right. THink first, where we can get the funds from? and not cut budgets. Sorry to say, it's not right to take cops off the street. That could be dangerous. Thank You
from: Extremely Concerned.	on: 02-01-2012 08:22PM I Agree (1) - I Disagree (0)

The town of adams is in need of business not housing. we need tax dollars so lets bring in some business and fill the empty downtown buildings. we also need to go after the owner of the armory building and push him to do something with it, its an eye sore. so selectmen and women please look into incentives to bring in business we need it!
from: cory adelt	on: 02-02-2012 06:32AM I Agree (2) - I Disagree (0)

What about the Fire Dept, and the water all in one,?
from: Former Adams res.	on: 02-02-2012 11:58AM I Agree (0) - I Disagree (3)

Very tough call but lots of real estate. Any possibility of creating an alliance with one of the local colleges as an extension of their plant?
from: dm	on: 02-24-2012 12:56PM I Agree (0) - I Disagree (0)

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