Above: The historic Fayville Village Hall is being marketed for sale again through an RFP process. (photos by Beth Melo)
The RFP for Fayville Hall has officially been re-released. New bids will be accepted through 10:00 am on Monday, November 12th.
Anyone interested is invited to an optional pre-bid tour at the 40 Central Street property. That’s scheduled for Tuesday, October 30th at 10:00 am.
As I’ve previously posted, the Town is not looking for the highest bidder on the historic property across from the just-renovated Town playground. The RFP encourages applicants that help meet some of the Town’s priorities.
Prior to the last release, selectmen signed off on the Fayville Disposition Committee’s recommendation. The RFP will advise that proposals will be weighed based on five equal factors. Before comparing financial bids, they will look at: Historic preservation, Parking accommodation, Affordable Housing, Septic, and Permitting.
Historic: The committee is encouraging preservation or restoration of the “architecturally and historically significant” building. (This follows through on a promise to Town Meeting voters.)
Parking: The building and it’s parking lot are across from Harold E Memorial Park. The recreation space includes Fayville Playground and a T-ball field. The committee is hoping applicants will accommodate public parking in the building’s lot, especially at peak use times.
Affordable Housing: Applicants will be encouraged to to review grant funds that might be available for that through the Community Preservation Committee.
Septic and Permitting: The RFP will warn potential buyers of the need for a new septic system to be installed. And buyers will be responsible for obtaining necessary permits. The applicant’s should demonstrate willingness/ability to tackle those tasks.
Prior to this release, the board directed that more specific guidance be included on how much parking the Town is seeking to keep available.
Below is yesterday’s official announcement on the new release by Town Administrator Mark Purple. Instead of posting the RFP, the announcement directs applicants to request a copy in person or by email:
TOWN OF SOUTHBOROUGH
NOTICE OF REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
Acquisition, Renovation and Redevelopment of Real PropertyThe Town of Southborough, MA, acting by and through the Board of Selectmen as the awarding authority, is requesting proposals for the acquisition, renovation and redevelopment of Fayville Village Hall which sits on a .23-acre parcel of land located at 42 Central Street, and the adjacent .488-acre parcel of land located at 40 Central Street. Proposals must be received on or before 10:00 AM, on November 12, 2018 at Southborough Town House, Board of Selectmen’s Office, 17 Common Street, Southborough MA 01772, at which time they will be publicly opened. Proposals received after the specified submission time will not be accepted. Request for Proposal documents may be obtained at the Selectmen’s Office, Southborough Town House, 17 Common Street, Southborough, Massachusetts on or after October 10, 2018 on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM, Tuesdays from 8:00 AM – 7:00 PM, and Fridays from 8:00 AM to Noon (excluding holidays), or by email at lesposito@southboroughma.com. To receive an emailed PDF file, your name and full contact information must be noted in the request. This Request for Proposals for acquisition, renovation and redevelopment is being administered under the provisions of Chapter 30B of the Massachusetts General Laws. The Town reserves the right to waive any informalities in, or to reject any and all proposals if it deems it to be in the public interest to do so.
The previous release received only one bid of $5,000. The applicant pledged to preserve the property, but other conditions made closing within the required time frame unrealistic. There was also public criticism that the RFP wasn’t publicized enough/properly.
The board opted to give it another try. This month selectmen discussed ways to better market the opportunity this time around.
