Clark Art Lecture Commemorating Tadao Ando-Designed Clark Center

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WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — On Saturday, July 27 at 2 pm, the Clark Art Institute hosts a talk by Michael Conforti, former director of the Clark (1994–2015), honoring the ten-year anniversary of the opening of the Clark Center, designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Tadao Ando. 
 
The event takes place in the Clark's auditorium, located in the Manton Research Center.
 
In this presentation, Conforti reviews the purpose and process of the Clark's transformative campus expansion project. Reflecting on his working relationship with Ando, Conforti discusses the Clark's initial master planning, the decision to hire Ando, the years of work that resulted in the 2008 completion of the Lunder Center at Stone Hill, and the opening of the Clark Center in 2014. Conforti, who edited the recent book Ando and Le Corbusier, will share many of the fascinating behind-the-scenes stories of the Clark project.
 
Free. Accessible seats available; for information, call 413 458 0524. 

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Williamstown Accepts Williams' $2M Bid for 59 Water St.

By Stephen DravisiBerkshires.com
WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — The Select Board on Monday voted 4-1 to  accept a revised offer from Williams College to purchase the former town garage site at four times the original upfront offer.
 
The college's original response to the town's request for proposals for 59 Water St. proposed that the school acquire the vacant lot for an upfront purchase price of $500,000 plus 10 years of $50,000 contributions to the Mount Greylock Regional School District.
 
On Monday night, Williams' director of communications presented a revised offer: the original $500,000 purchase price plus an additional $1.5 million contribution to the town, paid in a lump sum at the time of closing.
 
In addition to doubling the effective purchase price ($2 million versus the $1 million over 10 years), the new offer addresses a concern raised by members of the Select Board at its first public consideration of the college's proposal: the fact that $50,000 in 2036 is not the same as $50,000 in 2026.
 
The college's Gina Puc noted that the $500,000 purchase price alone is anywhere from a third more to double the lot's appraised value, depending on which appraisal you look at, a sum she characterized as "reasonable, even generous."
 
"After consideration and listening to the good conversation at the last Select Board meeting, we've decided to revise our offer, so we'll make a one-time payment of $1.5 million to the town at closing," Puc said. "This is in place of the $50,000 payment to the local schools.
 
"We're responding to some of the feedback we heard — one, to really compensate for lost tax revenue on the site for this being converted from what was, potentially, a commercial lot and, in addition, listening to feedback about having this go to the town instead of the schools."
 
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