Committee Weighs Sale, Partnership or Demolition of Town House
Other Committee · Meeting of August 13, 2026
Hampden panel debates selling, partnering out or funding the vacant old Town House, calls demolition a last resort. The committee reviewed a nearly finished request-for-information document meant to test developer interest before residents vote, and outlined three possible Town Meeting warrant options: sell the building, retain it for a public-private partnership, or keep it under town ownership with taxpayer funding, estimated at $60,000 a year to maintain. One member warned, "that tearing it down should be the last option," while another pegged demolition costs at "about $700,000 to $800,000." A roughly $19,000 planning grant, expiring within two years, awaits a decision on direction before it can be spent.
The panel also resolved a boundary dispute with the adjacent fire station project after a surveyor found the two sites shared a single, undivided lot. Members set their next meeting for Thursday, August 27, 2026, by unanimous vote.
In the full story:
- Who Was There
- Organizations And Documents Referenced
- The complete report — 1,959 words
Source: the Other Committee meeting of August 13, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
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