AMHERST — Amherst Town Council is deciding whether to acquire a North Amherst parcel being eyed for a high-tech research center, though it would likely have to commit more than $1.5 million to do so.
Councilors were scheduled to meet Tuesday in executive session to discuss the right of first refusal the town has to purchase 18.58 acres of land between Sunderland and Montague roads, owned by the Thomas F. Mitchell Family Trust and Mitchell Family Farm Trust.
Because it has been used as agricultural land and received property tax discounts through the state’s Chapter 61A program, the town can match the $1.6 million offer in a purchase-and-sale agreement between the trusts and Amherst developer Barry Roberts, although there has been no indication it intends to do so.
Roberts is a senior adviser for nuForj LLC of Springfield that is planning The Eruptor Lab, a project that would offer incubation space for companies to build, develop, test and improve their projects using technology such as three-dimensional printing and other sophisticated manufacturing equipment.
Aimed at diversifying the town’s economy, improving its tax base and bringing 75 high-paying jobs to the region, Eruptor’s proposal is to construct an 80,000-square-foot building and parking associated with the project.
Roberts’ purchase would allow the entirety of the property to be used for commercial and industrial purposes. The land is already zoned as a professional research park.
Council President Lynn Griesemer said prior to the meeting that she didn’t expect any decisions to be finalized by the Town Council on Monday.
Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.
