What’s Next For the Powder House Community School?

[barry-rafkind.livejournal.com]

 
WHY :       The City is moving ahead with plans to rezone and sell the Powder House School property.

WHAT :    Join your neighbors to learn about the City’s planning process, discuss how redevelopment might impact the neighborhood, and find out how we can ensure that this property between Davis and Teele Squares will be reused to benefit our neighborhood and City.

WHEN :    Wednesday March 31st, 2010,  7:00 – 8:00 PM

WHERE : Tufts Administration Bldg (TAB), 167 Holland Street

Presented By Your Neighbors:

Rachel Heller (Elmwood Street)        Lou Ann David (Clarendon Hill Towers)

Barry Rafkind (Ossipee Road)          Joyce and Richard Shortt (Packard Ave)

Alba and Costa Chitouras (Packard Ave)

RSVP : Rachel Heller (617) 299-1697 or RachelinSomerville@gmail.com

The TAB building is an accessible location.

Click here to get this flyer in PDF format.

For more background, check out my Jan 18th post City Releases Powder House School Real Estate Analysis; Mayor Seeks Property Sale This Year

 

Comments

[ron_newman]

Here's an earlier post about this subject, based on a meeting that elements and I attended last June.

[masswich.livejournal.com]

Its probably worth clarifying that this is not being held by the City, since when I first read the posting, that's what I thought.

I would be interested in hearing an update from the City on their plans for moving forward with the Powderhouse School.

By the way, anyone who is interested in the site should definitely read the consultant's report itself:

http://tinyurl.com/powderhouse

Also the overall City page on the site:

http://www.somervillema.gov/Section.cfm?org=OSPCD&page=1406

[barry-rafkind.livejournal.com]

I guess you missed the line "Presented By Your Neighbors:"...

[masswich.livejournal.com]

I guess I did. But I am not so smart.

[smoterh.livejournal.com]

I really hope that the Mayor pushes this through and ends up selling this property instead of sinking 22 million to renovate it and turning it into some community center

[ron_newman]

Why do you want it sold, and what would you want to see built here?

[masswich.livejournal.com]

There's lots of room between a $22 million community center and upzoning it and selling it for maximum mint. I'm glad the community is paying attention to the site and hope the City will listen to all sides. I look forward to the meeting on March 31st as a part of the community debate.

Ultimately, the Aldermen will have to vote if and under what conditions to dispose of the property, so this will need to be a decision that has the support of the majority of our elected officials. Its our job as residents to think about the options and let them know how we feel.

[blinkidybah.livejournal.com]

Land always has value -- couldn't the city develop and rent it out instead of handing away an asset for immediate profits?

[nomacmac.livejournal.com]

I skimmed through the report, but didn't see this (but maybe I missed it) Did the city determine the amount saved from rent, and value of property that could be sold, if different community organizations were housed in this building? rent paid to TAB for SCALE and the Senior center? Moving the Rec Dept there and selling the building on Walnut St (which would be a great location for condos, but the building stinks as a Rec Dept...how can a Rec Dept not have a gym???) Moving the Somerville Arts Council there so they could have an auditorium with a stage?

[masswich.livejournal.com]

I don't think it did that level of analysis. That's why it is not the final say on what should happen on the site. Its data.

A little history........

[tt02144.livejournal.com]

When the city was building the West Somerville Neighborhood School, Mayor Curtatone convinced the School Committee to relinquish control of this building to the city. There was a lot of debate, very contentious, and the building was eventually closed as a school and given to the city. This was done only because of the plan the city had for the building. It was to eventually house the School Dept. Administration (currently paying rent in a terrible building), the Recreation Department, and other city offices, some of which are currently paying rent. The Mayor also promised that the gym in that building (a very good gymnasium which at the time was used heavily by youth and high school basketball) would remain usable and open to the public. As you can see, none of this has happened. One of the reasons this gym was so heavily used is because it is in one of the few locations in Somerville which is accessible by all bus lines which cross through the city. The kids from Mystic Ave. could get there just as easily as the kids living near Porter Square. This city desperately needs a community center which could house recreation activities for all ages, community meeting space, performance space, etc. Since these stipulations, I believe, were written into the School Committee order which relinquished the building, the mayor should be made to honor his bargain.

[micbain07.livejournal.com]

I agree with tt02144, although Curtatone was not Mayor when the West Somerville School was being built. This issue concerning the Powder School brings a quote to mind, "Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it"
When the old Western junior High was closed about thirty years ago it was sold to Tufts and became the TAB. The City which was starved for office space soon after began leasing office space at the TAB originally at a discount rate and later at market rate. The administration which sold that Building, Brune(?), was chastised for many years for not keeping it. I believe the value of the Powderhouse School will reap its benefits in the years to come as a Recreation/Community center. It is unwise to sell it off to now.