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2016-04-13 / Front Page
Local nonprofit to renovate Woolson Building
By Nancy A. Cavanaugh
ncavanaugh@eagletimes.com
A mural painted on the side of the Woolson Block in Springfield. Springfield Housing Unlimited has signed an options agreement to purchase the building with the intent of renovating it and installing youth in transition housing in the upper floors. — CAMERON PAQUETTE
A mural painted on the side of the Woolson Block in Springfield. Springfield Housing Unlimited has signed an options agreement to purchase the building with the intent of renovating it and installing youth in transition housing in the upper floors. — CAMERON PAQUETTESPRINGFIELD — The announcement that Springfield Housing Unlimited (SHU), a nonprofit company owned by Springfield Housing Authority (SHA) and Housing Vermont, has signed an options agreement to purchase the Woolson Block, located at 39 Main St., was made at the Springfield Selectboard’s meeting Monday.
The nonprofit is looking to renovate the structure and add youth in transition housing to the upper floors.
E.J. Cully, who has owned the building since 2008, agreed to sell the building to SHU for $200,000, as well as agreeing to give up the right to redeem the property, according to Bill Morlock, executive director of SHA.
The current owner has one year to redeem the property by paying the overdue taxes to the winning bidder plus one percent interest per month.
In late August, SHU had the winning bid at $25,000 when the building was put up for sale at tax auction.
“We started looking at it about a year ago,” said Morlock. “I’m not sure we chose it. A number of people were looking for someone to step forward to buy and do a renovation. Some asked us directly.”
The Woolson Block is a three-story block built in 1868 by Amasa Woolson, Horace W. Thompson, and Frederick Parks. The brick Italianate style commercial building has a stone foundation, brick masonry walls, brick and wood exterior trim, and built-up roofing and is attributed to architect George H. Gvernsey, according to the Connecticut River Joint Commission’s website.
“The project will be similar to what we did with the movie theater,” Morlock said.
After the fire in the Ellis Block, which housed the movie theater, in 2008, SHU stepped up to buy the building and renovated the inside. The organization recreated the theater on the first level then created nine apartments above that, according to Morlock.
Now that the options agreement has been signed, SHU is looking to hire an environmental consultant and structural engineer to “find out what needs to be done in order to renovate it after we close on the purchase later this summer or early fall,” said Morlock.
Morlock estimates the project will cost $4.6 million to bring it up to code and make the renovations. He hopes to have it completed within two years. The plan, so far, is to “bring it down to the studs and start from there, and construct it the way we want it to look like,” Morlock said.
“The first floor will be commercial, as it is now,” he said. “The second and third floor will be residential.
“We’re working with Health Care and Rehabilitation Services (HCRS) and Windsor County Youth Services to provide youth in transition housing,” Morlock continued.
Youth in transition, according to Morlock, are youth who are not able to live with their parents for a variety of reasons.
“I’m hoping we could help some kids who are marginal so they can get services and pointed in the right direction,” he said. “We hope to use one-third of it for that.”
The rest of the apartments will be tax credit housing, according to Morlock. Those who make 60 percent or less of median would qualify for the housing, which is set by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
“The rent will be set amount regardless of what you earn,” he said.
For example, a single person would qualify if they earned $30,420 or less and a two-person family would qualify if they earned $34,720 or less.
Changes to the exterior will be controlled by the Vermont Division for Historic Preservation.
“They will let us know what they want kept,” Morlock said.
When completed, the Woolson Block will be on the tax roll at the regular rate, “just like with the Ellis Block,” said Morlock.
The renovation of the Woolson Building is also a part of the strategic plan for downtown
redevelopment being created by the Springfield Selectboard. The Woolson Building was part of action step two of the second objective of the Strategic Plan, which is to, “redevelop, improve aesthetics, and promote effective retail and other businesses of downtown buildings,” according to the plan.
The action step calls for the selectboard to review the progress of the Woolson Block project in February 2017.
The renovation is part of the downtown redevelopment plan? More low income housing is part of the downtown plan? That's not the vision I have for Springfield's future. I can't see this drawing good businesses or workers for those businesses to Springfield. Bad move!
ReplyDeleteMore rehab purveyor occupants drawing in troubled outsiders. Maybe the the commercial space on street level can have a headshop that sells bongs, cigarette papers, diabetic syringes(wink, wink), pipes, etc and a massage parlor next door. Just what Springfield needs: more "people on the dole" industries and more troubled people flocking to Springfield. What could possibly go wrong? Remember how great building a prison was going to be for the town? How has that nightmare worked out for the community? Insanity is repeating the same mistakes over and over and expecting different results. Welcome to Springfield! The town tops the list for towns bent on self-destruction while a few are lining their pockets.
ReplyDeleteSpringfield doesn't seem like the best place for "youth in transition." Proximity to downtown drug deals, etc. Unless heavily supervised, how will this housing help already-compromised youth?
ReplyDeleteA depressing day at Springfield VT at the Woolson Building at Main Street and Park Street. Is it convenient for the light and the camera(s) for any people from the Woolson Building of any drug(s)? Sad day indeed!
ReplyDeleteToo bad. Low income housing is not the solution to poverty, better incomes are. Sadly, the political left (with some exceptions) has abandoned the idea of improving the economic circumstances of the poor and working class and is now in the business of subsidized warehousing. The political right has never given a damn. The problems of Springfield are the problems of America: rabid idealogues bent on pursuing their agendas without thought to the consequences. Or is it just simple callous greed?
ReplyDeleteYou might want to read, "No Country for Old People" about poverty, housing and the elderly in America: http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2016/04/america-no-country-for-old-people.html
ReplyDeleteIn another article currently on the blog, the Woolson Block is listed as "Action Step #2" of the selectmen's so-called strategic plan for the downtown area. I am referring to it as "so-called" as I have stated many times in this forum that more public housing in the Square is not a solution for improving downtown and attracting new businesses/residents.
ReplyDeleteSpringfield just can't help itself when it comes to winning the race to the bottom! Since when did becoming the dumping ground for every misfit, nitwit, deviant, and derelict become the key objective in the strategic plan? The town continues to do its best to foster an abysmal future. But I guess it plays right into the re-election plans of Emmons and Forguites, who must be banking on such nonsense for attracting a new voting base for them...
ReplyDeleteI completely agree that this is "no country for old people." My 84 year old mother is moving in with me as she can no longer afford to live in the house my late father built, and cannot afford a retirement community. Many seniors are not so fortunate. The issue at hand, however, is subsidized housing for young and presumably able-bodied people. Do I think they should be thrown out on the street? Absolutely not! What I am suggesting is that there are better alternatives to warehousing the poor and disadvantaged. Better jobs, better health care, job training that leads to an actual job, and not a dead end. We as a society need to completely rethink our views and policies with regard to labor, business and the citizenry at large. We are in the 21st century, yet many of our attitudes and policies are rooted in the 19th. That having been said, as citizens, we must also adopt attitudes and behaviors that conducive to a civilized society. Many of the Woolson Building's former occupants did not. And that is the problem.
ReplyDelete6:39, you seriously ought to consider getting onto one of the town committees. Had I known who you are, I would have invited you to the private showing of "Where to Invade Next," (still playing at the theater for a couple more days). Michael Moore visits countries where workers don't need to work a second or third job even though they work in a pencil factory, where workers by law must be on every company's management council, get 13 months' pay for 12 months work, get 8 weeks paid vacation, are entitled to the world's best public school education no matter which school their child attends; where bankers go to jail en masse for crippling the economy; where every woman has the rights every man does and has unfettered access to and use of ob/gyn and family planning services; and where government respects the dignity and meets the needs of both young and old.
ReplyDeletePeople like the idea of thinking outside the box, but to do that you first have to look outside the box. "Where to Invade Next" gives you that look. See it and then talk with one of the people who attended that private showing.