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FALL RIVER — Over the years — and even more recently — the city thought it had sold off some of its most blighted properties, but there is a possibility that four of those buildings may be coming back to Fall River’s ownership.
Here is the status of those properties, which include the Bank Street Armory; the former Bedford Street police station; the former Silvia Elementary School on Hartwell Street and the former Davol Elementary School in the Flint neighborhood.
What’s happening with the Bank Street Armory?
Last Tuesday, the City Council was to decide on whether the city should sell the 126-year-old Bank Street Armory to Alan Macomber, the principal in the development company Main Street Projects.
But rather than an up or down vote, the council voted instead to table the issue and directed the administration to explore an idea that the Community Preservation Commission bond $5 million to $7 million to put towards repairing the property and keep it in the hands of the city.
However, that amount of money isn’t going to fix the issues at the armory with an estimated cost of $10 million to $12 million for needed repairs.
City Councilor Linda Pereira, one of the most vocal opponents of selling off the armory, again argued that the property should be maintained for military veterans and city youth.
Event venue: ‘That’s what we need, people downtown’: Mayor eyes redevelopment of Armory into event center
“This has all to do with the people of Fall River, with the history of Fall River and what belongs to the people,” said Pereira.
Macomber, who has completed some high-end housing redevelopment of aging buildings in the city, was the lone bidder to respond to a request for proposal put out earlier this year by the administration with the hopes that a developer would rehabilitate the aging castle-like structure into an event venue.
But Macomber’s plan is to redevelop the armory into 37 market-rate apartments or possibly a mixed-rate project with 20% of the units deemed affordable. Before the council tabled the matter, City Administrator Seth Aitken said that Macomber indicated veterans would be given preference in renting the affordable units.
Aitken said the administration would abide by the council’s wishes, saying the city will also have to consider where the funding will come from beyond a CPC bond and the annual cost to maintain the armory.
It’s not the first time Mayor Paul Coogan’s administration has tried to redevelop the armory. The city had been in talks for months with another developer with experience transforming old armories who backed out last year.
Former Bedford Street police station latest redevelopment plan still in flux
Structural concerns Latest plan to redevelop old police station may be dashed due to structural concerns
Two weeks ago, the city’s building inspector ordered work on the planned redevelopment of the more than 100-year-old former police station located in the heart of Bedford Street stopped due to structural concerns.
For 20 years, there have been a number of owners of the contaminated four-story building that has been compromised by the elements over time, but no redevelopment was ever carried out, and the city took it back.
The latest owner, Wethersfield LLC of Chelsea, planned to convert the old police station into 36 market-rate housing units and had permits in hand with plans to start construction this summer, until the city orders.
Matthew Thomas, the city’s real estate attorney, said on Wednesday that the owners were going to receive a letter from the city containing a “cure” provision that’s going to give them an opportunity to respond.
When Wethersfield first purchased the building in January 2021 for $10,000, they agreed to benchmarks and deadlines for the redevelopment, which has been extended once after delays due to COVID.
“They are in the process of meeting with their structural engineers to determine exactly what extra work has to be done in shoring up the building so that they can get in there and do the demolition work that they need to do,” said Thomas.
The city, said Thomas, is willing to give Wethersfield the opportunity to survey the structure.
“But the city has to be pragmatic and realistic about it,” said Thomas. “If the path forward is not a reasonable path forward, the city has to make some hard decisions.”
City utilizing reverter clauses to take back two former schools
When local businessman David Hebert pitched his idea to transform the former Silvia Elementary School on Hartwell Street, he promised the blighted structure would be transformed into a boutique hotel.
It persuaded first the City Council Committee on Real Estate and later the council at the time to sell the old school for $5,000, along with the former Lincoln Elementary School on Pine Street for $10,000 for redevelopment into market-rate housing.
Like other sales agreements the city has entered, Hebert had deadlines to meet to redevelop the properties.
The projects never materialized as Hebert was embroiled in a federal criminal case as one of former mayor Jasiel Correia II’s co-defendants in a marijuana pay-to-play scheme. Correia was later convicted and sent to prison and Hebert pleaded guilty to the charges against him.
Then in January 2020 when Coogan took office, Corporation Counsel Alan Rumsey attached a right of reverter to the two schools’ deeds and brokered a sale later of the two schools to Somerset developer Kenneth Mollicone, which the city was to get a chunk of the proceeds.
But the sale of Silvia fell through, and Hebert has it back on the market for almost $900,000.
“There is a process underway right now,” said Thomas.
Thomas said Hebert has 90 days to find another buyer.
“At the end of 90 days and if nothing else happens, then the city will exercise its rights to revert the property back,” said Thomas. “We’re about 30 days into it.”
Like the Lincoln deal, if the former school is sold, the city will get a percentage.
And after nine years of no development at the former Davol Elementary School, the city is still on track in exercising its right to revert ownership from the Flint Neighborhood Association.
“By taking these properties back, it gives the city an opportunity to take another look at bringing these properties to a new and adaptive reuse that will be beneficial and sustainable, which is what you’re supposed to do,” said Thomas.
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