Chicopee Council Unanimously Approves $4.76 Million to Buy Downtown School Offices Building

CHICOPEE — June 2, 2026 — Chicopee City Council unanimously approved a $4.76 million financing package to purchase 219-225 Exchange Street as the new home for the school department's administrative offices, ending an approximately $285,000 annual rental at Dulong Circle. The council voted 13-0 on three linked orders: $2.35 million in redirected ARPA-era library bond funds, a $10,000 free cash supplement to reach the $2.36 million acquisition price, and $20,000 to purchase existing office furniture from seller Westfield Bank, which negotiated down from an appraised $40,000-$60,000 range. The proposed closing is July 10. The same 13-0 margin defeated an order that would have limited councilor Zoom participation to illness and emergencies, with Councilor Joel McAuliffe arguing the proposal was "bad policy" and "procedurally flawed" and Councilor Shane Brooks citing quorum protection as "the most important thing, period." The council also voted unanimously to appropriate $2 million to the Stabilization Trust Fund before free cash expires at month's end, accepted a $50,000 library donation in memory of Emily Partica and a $7,800 federal bulletproof vest grant for the police department, and referred a new e-bike sidewalk ordinance — introduced by Councilor Kevin Cushane and amended to protect ADA mobility device users — to the Ordinance Committee for a first reading.