State Not Interested in Memorial Building for MassBay Campus

Framingham Town Manager Bob Halpin told Town Meeting members Tuesday night, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is not interested in purchasing the Memorial Building, to use it as part of a future MassBay Community College Framingham campus.

The announcement came almost a year to the date that Halpin announced that Framingham Selectmen voted to offer two town-owned buildings and a garage to the state for a proposed Mass Bay College campus in Framingham. That vote took place on Oct 21, 2014.

Selectmen voted in 2014 to authorize the Town Manager to submit a proposal, which would eventually need the approval of Town Meeting, for the sale of the Danforth Buiilding, the Memorial Building and the Pearl Street garage to the state for a proposed new Mass Bay Community College campus in downtown Framingham.

The plan was for the sale to be enough to find a replacement for both municipal office space and school administrative offices.

The state announced in 2013, it was seeking parcels of property for a future MassBay campus in downtown Framingham.

In June of this year, the Massachusetts Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance released its budget and funding for a future MassBay Community College campus in downtown Framingham was not part of Governor Charlie Baker’s administration’s plans.

“This is discouraging news, but not unexpected given the fiscal challenges of the state,” said Mass Bay Community College President John O’Donnell to Framingham Patch in a statement back in June. “We will continue to work with DCAMM and with our legislators to move forward with our plan to bring the MassBay campus to downtown Framingham.”

In October 2012, former Governor Deval Patrick announced $22 million for the project.

In June 2014, legislators authorized $14 million for MassBay Community College to build a new campus in downtown Framingham. That additional $14 million brought the state’s total capital contribution to $36 million for the $59 million campus project.

With the Memorial Building no longer being considered by the state, the Town of Framingham will need to make a decision to either complete major repairs or do something else with the building used now as municipal offices.