Old Williamstown Youth Center On The Market
 The town gave the gave the building and land to the Youth Center, which was then call the Williamstown Boys Club, in 1966. The club has been using the former school since 1934, when the building it was using on Spring Street was torn down to make way for the post office. |
So with Tuesday's groundbreaking to construct a new building at the Elementary School, center officials have put the current building up for sale.
They are asking for $99,000 for the property that was given to the center in 1966. While some may think that the center should give the land back to the town, Town Manager Peter Fohlin doesn't want it.
"It would be extremely expensive to retrofit that building. We don't want it for the same reasons the Youth Center is getting rid of it," Fohlin said on Thursday. "We have no interest."
According to Youth Center Executive Director David Rempell, a few parties have toured the building but the center has heard nothing from the town.
"The town knows of our intent and if they were interested they would have notified us," Rempell said.
A few months ago, members from the town's Affordable Housing Committee looked at the building as part of their effort to research locations to build a new housing complex. Rempell said he has not heard from them since.
Catherine Yamamoto, chairman of the Affordable Housing Committee, said on Friday that the group has looked at the property but it is not a priority. The committee is focusing on town-owned land first but has visited a few privately-owned sites that they could acquire in the future.
"We can't give it back to the town unless the town wants it," Rempell said. "We've had a couple parties express interest."
Rempell, a selectman, said he did not raise the issue with other town officials but did approach Williams College. The college did not have any interest in the property either, he said.
.jpg) Harsch Associates has placed ads in local publications advertising the building. The company hopes to have offers by April 30. |
"We will be here until we move into the new building," Rempell said. "It's a desirable location. It's centrally located."
It was first built in the 1800s as the Cole Avenue School.
The building is for sale through Harsch Associates. Interested parties are asked to submit sealed offers that include the proposed reuse of the building by noon on April 30. Tours and additional can be arranged by contacting the real estate company.
Tags: Real Estate, youth center,
