NORTHAMPTON — After exercising an option to purchase the former First Baptist Church building on Dec. 2, the city of Northampton has officially listed a price tag for the building at $3.3 million.

The city held a first reading at its Dec. 15 City Council meeting regarding a financial order to appropriate funds and to authorize the acquisition of the old church, which it intends to convert into a long-planned resiliency hub, a multipurpose community center. The city is requesting $1 million from the city’s fiscal 2023 general fund to help pay for the property. Additional funding for the purchase has already been secured from $1.6 million derived from marijuana community impact fees and a $200,000 pledge from Smith College. The city also has received roughly $507,000 from Community Development Block Grant funds and $53,000 from other donations.

Mayor Gina-Louise Sciarra said at the council meet that the building, which has been vacant since 1993, has had improvements already done since that time, has proper plumbing and is ready for the installation of a commercial kitchen. 

“A lot of the really hard, expensive work is done,” she said.  “It’s really important to me that the people being served in there as a day center, and anyone who uses that space, will feel a sense of beauty and dignity.”

Carolyn Misch, the city’s director of planning and sustainability, said the city would move to act quickly to get the hub up and running if the council votes to approve the purchase.

“Once we close, we’ll also be seeking out funding to fit out the building, to finish the rest of the work for the interior,” she said. “We’ll be seeking grants and other opportunities outside the city for that purpose.” 

The community hub concept traces its origins to 2019 under former mayor David Narkewicz, but has continued to be strongly advocated for under Sciarra’s mayorship. The hub will support residents who face chronic and acute stress, such as those who are homeless, and act as an emergency center if there is a disaster. Although services dealing with some of these issues already exist in Northampton, the hub would serve as a centralized location for addressing the needs of vulnerable populations.

The former church would also serve as a new home for the Community Care Department, part of the city’s Department for Health and Human Services. The city will vote on whether or not to approve the acquisition at its next council meeting on Jan. 5. 

Alexander MacDougall can be reached at amacdougall@gazettenet.com.

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