AMHERST — A campus reuse planning process could get underway for Wildwood School, the 71 Strong St. building that will close this fall upon the opening of the new Amethyst Brook School.
Having previously undertaken similar work as planning director in Easthampton with three former elementary schools in that city, Planning & Economic Development Director Jeff Bagg told the Joint Capital Planning Thursday that a $100,000 or more capital investment is needed to begin this work.
“The school, the building and the campus around it, the time is right now to start understanding the future use options for that space,” Bagg said.
Bagg said he spent almost six years facilitating the project in Easthampton, and also handled a smaller project for Yarmouth’s Mattacheese Middle School. In Easthampton, the work started when funding was approved by voters for the new elementary school, and because the old buildings were embedded in the downtown, this became part of a downtown strategic plan. The work continued until 2022 when there was disposition of the former school properties.
In some ways, Bagg said Amherst is already behind schedule, with the new school set to open, and community conversations not yet having begun. “We want to start that in earnest,” Bagg said.
Ideas for Wildwood have ranged from being the site of a senior center to serving as youth empowerment center, with some concepts for preserving the entire building or just the gym, or demolishing the 1970s-era building to allow for housing.
“It extremely quickly goes beyond what a typical Planning Department does,” Bagg said.
Bagg also is requesting $100,000 for creating an economic development plan. Bagg said he’s already started with updating data and understanding market conditions, but needs to have a consultant to do a deeper dive.
Bagg said he would like to nurture village centers as well, going beyond downtown, and work with the University of Massachusetts on its economic development plan.
Still, Wildwood is critical.
“Other than that economic development plan, this is a huge priority, this really should start as quickly as possible,” Bagg said.
District 1 Councilor Cathy Schoen, who chairs the committee, said she is thrilled that planners are embarking on this because the 14-acre site has parking, water and electricity.
“It’s an incredible site to think about what could be there, and we shouldn’t put a key in the door and let it sit for a number of years to let nature take its course with the building,” Schoen said.
Assistant Town Manager David Ziomek said he expects Town Manager Paul Bockelman would likely form some kind of new committee, to work in parallel and concert with Bagg’s effort.
Bagg said the hope is to have the ad hoc committee decipher some of the information and make recommendations on the path forward and what is financially feasible for the community do to with the property.