ATHOL — After spending nearly all of its time in recent years on development of the Athol Business Park, an effort that led to the construction of North Quabbin Commons and that may result in a hotel being built in the area of routes 2, 2A and 32, Athol’s Economic Development Industrial Corporation is turning its eyes toward downtown Athol. At its meeting on Wednesday, March 16, members considered a proposal to convey ownership of the downtown parking deck and some adjacent property from the town to the EDIC.
Corporation Chair Keith McGuirk noted the deck was closed nearly a year ago due to safety concerns.
“Our charter,” said EDIC Chair Keith McGuirk, “does allow us to own property independent of the town. The rationale behind that, of course, is because it’s a lot easier for a developer to deal with us, probably, than with the town where, whatever they do, they have to wait six months for a Town Meeting vote, and back and forth. As a redevelopment authority, it’s beneficial for us to own the property we’re trying to redevelop and not have to go to the Town Meeting — wait for the next town meeting.
“If the town owns the property, and the rules the town has to follow for conveying property, it’s extremely difficult for developers to deal with. We’ve learned this before. We learned this with the gas station (at routes 2A and 32); it was a similar thing. We had to take over the property and then sell it to the developer of the gas station; otherwise, he would have been waiting for months for Town Meetings and votes. If we have the property in our possession, we can deal with a developer better than the town as a whole.”
McGuirk then explained that Town Manager Shaun Suhoski is crafting an article for the Annual Town Meeting in June that would convey the parking deck and associated parcels to the EDIC. Any such article would require a two-thirds majority vote for Town Meeting approval.
“He presented this (idea) to the Selectboard some weeks ago,” McQuirk continued, “and it was very well received. The selectmen thought it was a good idea it be conveyed to the EDIC and that we be involved in the disposition of it.”
Athol Planning and Development Director Eric Smith told the panel that articles for the warrant must be submitted by early April. In early May, the Selectboard will vote on whether to add each proposal to the warrant.
McQuirk then added that “we need to vote on whether we are in agreement to do this. We have never actually voted on it. Are we willing, as the EDIC, to accept this conveyance if it comes to us? My opinion is I’m willing to accept it and to attempt to redevelop that property in some form.”
“I agree,” said panel member Clint Sykes. “The only thing that concerns me is the hodgepodge of properties and how do we put it together? What’s our ability and what’s our jurisdiction to connect — or effect — all those random pieces of property?”
In an exchange of emails with the Athol Daily News, Suhoski said, “As has been discussed in public meetings of the EDIC and, separately, with the Board of Selectmen, the Town will propose an article that would transfer the ownership of the downtown parking deck parcel from the Town to the EDIC. This transfer would enable the EDIC, as an entity empowered to deal with real estate transactions and development, to seek a productive reuse of the property.
“My plan,” he continued, “is to utilize existing special revenue account funds for demolition to eliminate the liability posed by the structure and then providing the EDIC with a clean slate to seek redevelopment proposals that would potentially create jobs, address the need for affordable housing and include street-level commercial space as required by our zoning. Having this parcel on the tax rolls and providing a benefit to the community is the paramount goal.”
The town, said Suhoski, has received an engineer’s report that put the cost of rehabilitating the parking deck at approximately $2 million. The cost of demolition has been pegged at $150,000.
The parking area, which appears to be a single unit of property, is actually made up of various parcels — some owned by the town, others by private interests.
One proposed use for the property has been that of downtown housing.
“Access is one thing,” said McGuirk, “parking is another thing. If you’re going to build a big apartment building there, you have to have parking. The Zoning Board of Appeals and the Planning Board have, in the past, recognized that municipal parking as legitimate parking for restaurants and things like that.”
After a bit more discussion on potential reuse of the property, EDIC members voted unanimously to support an article to transfer the property to the corporation.
The parking garage was built in the mid-1980s. In 2019, then-Public Works Director Doug Walsh spent more than $15,000 to install LED lights in the garage and parking area. That same year, Sherwin-Williams donated $1,000 worth of primer and paint to improve the appearance of the structure but graffiti vandals continued to plague the area. About a year later, current DPW chief Dick Kilhart closed the garage when chunks of concrete began to fall from the structure, posing a risk to motorists and vehicles alike.
Earlier this year, the Downtown Vitality Committee briefly floated the idea of installing a skateboard park and playground on the site once demolition was complete.
Greg Vine can be reached at gvineadn@gmail.com