EASTHAMPTON — The City Council passed a resolution disposing of the city-owned Town Lodging House at 75 Oliver St. by declaring it as surplus, clearing the way for the city to seek proposals from potential buyers of the historic site.
The decision made by the council at its May 6 meeting is the first step required by Massachusetts law to send out a request for proposals (RFP) to seek a buyer for the 54-acre property. The property previously housed people without homes, transient and low-income individuals for more than 130 years before it was vacated in April 2022.
As discussion of the property has reemerged in recent months, many residents have voiced their love for the site and desire for citizens to have a say in its future.
“We want to bring housing back to 75 Oliver Street, returning these homes to the people where they belong,” said resident Elizabeth Cocco. “At the same time, the land must serve the entire community, honoring its long-standing farming legacy in a meaningful and lasting way.”
Some residents are also unhappy with the lack of maintenance the city has put into the building, accusing the city of intentionally letting the property fall into disrepair.
“The disrepair — the front porch falling off, the wood decaying, the barn and the dog pound and all the old stuff that’s left there. We haven’t been preserving that,” said resident Karol Brodeur, who lives next to the property. “I wonder if we have a lawsuit against the city for not maintaining their continued preservation.”
Council President Koni Denham requested that City Procurement Officer Michael Owens gather information on the investments the city has made to the property. Owens said in 1998, the city used state and grant funding of $425,000 to repair the roof and building envelope. In 2004, $7,800 was invested for building and porch stabilization and to meet building code requirements. Owens said other actions were taken in 2019, 2021 and 2026.
Councilor Thomas Peake said it is a “valid sentiment” for people to be frustrated that the property has fallen into disrepair. Multiple reasons exist for this, such as the site’s deed restrictions making development difficult. However, he emphasized that the city lacks the funds to rehabilitate the property itself, which would be a multimillion-dollar project.
“I think that most of us probably are frustrated by that, but it is in the condition that it has been,” Peake said. “I don’t see any reason why it would make sense for the city to continue to hold onto a building that we do not have the resources or the technical knowledge to properly rehabilitate.”
The property deed includes historic preservation and an affordable housing requirement for the building, as well as agricultural preservation for the land. The property previously drew interest from housing nonprofit Valley Community Development Corporation, which withdrew its plans.
The process to remove or alter a deed restriction through the state Legislature is lengthy and complicated. Councilors made one amendment to the RFP, allowing the city to sell the property for more than its appraised value of $47,500 — a figure based on the fact that the property cannot be developed for anything other than what the deed restrictions dictate.
The current draft RFP will now go to the City Council Property Subcommittee for review and finalization; its next meeting is Monday, May 18. No proposals are currently being considered and cannot be submitted until the RFP is finalized.
Two interested parties have emerged: the Chicoine Family Farm, located just up the street from the site, and a collaboration between the national nonprofit Farmer Veteran Coalition with Renewal Initiatives.
The Property Subcommittee, which includes Councilors Peake, James “JP” Kwiecinski and Kiam Jamrog-McQuaid, will review any proposals that are submitted and evaluate them based on a grading system. Councilors welcomed input from the public at future meetings.
Outlined in the draft RFP, proposals must meet a minimum criteria for consideration, including complying with the deed restrictions, a business plan, statement of public benefit and more. Proposals will be evaluated and graded based on their ability to match that criteria and other considerations. More information can be found in the draft RFP.
Planning Director Allyson Manuel said there is nothing in the resolution or currently in the draft RFP restricting the property to one entity.
Denham said she first became aware of the house more than a decade ago. Having walked through the property last year, she said she is disappointed to see what has happened to the building.
“I was heartbroken,” Denham said. “That was a home. It was a place of refuge for many people as they were in periods of transition in their life and those spirits echoed through those walls, in those hallways and those rooms of people’s lives.”
“The hope is that through this process of having an RFP, there is someone out there, an organization, perhaps partnerships with community members, etc., that they can bring that space back to life again,” Denham added.
More information can be found on the city of Easthampton’s website.
