As an Aug. 16 Gazette article noted, the city of Northampton appears to have overpaid by as much as $1.5 million for the former First Baptist Church on Main Street, according to Colliers International, a large global real estate brokerage [“Appraisal faults city on Resilience Hub site”]. The report noted, in part, that appraisers for the city did “not provide a reasoned analysis with good documentation and insight.”
While I support the idea of the Resilience Hub, when I read this red flags appeared; this is a serious issue that should not be ignored. The city has offered no meaningful explanation, and frankly this sale looks dubious. When coupled with the city’s school budget cuts and the overblown and criticized Main Street redesign stubbornly being pushed on us despite thoughtful and reasoned alternatives, it appears very much like a city government that chooses to pursue its own agenda without regard to the interests of all who live here.
I think the city owes us all an explanation about this purchase and should begin to take seriously our questions and concerns, certainly more than it does now.
Tina Sanchez
Northampton