Springfield gets 4 bids to redevelop former Indian Orchard fire station

MassLive.com - 9/9/2021

SPRINGFIELD — The city’s decade-long effort to find a buyer and new use for the former Indian Orchard fire station yielded four competing proposals this week.

The proposals will now be evaluated by a city review committee, with any sale of the property needing approval from Mayor Domenic J. Sarno and the City Council.

The four bidders for the property were listed as follows:

The prices offered are just one of many considerations, city officials said. The city is offering a $65,000 incentive to the selected buyer.

The incentive from the city’s federal Community Development Block Grant program is for exterior work. Any of that work must be approved by the city Historical Commission.

Brian Connors, deputy director of the city Office of Planning and Economic Development, said in July he was hopeful an improved market and the grant incentive might lead to success for the former fire station. The city advertised for proposals that month after five failed efforts in the past decade to sell the Oak Street station.

Two years ago, the city offered $50,000 and received two development offers. Both — one for a live-in art studio and one for a opioid addiction clinic — were declined.

In its latest advertisement for bids, the city said it was most interested “in proposals that creatively integrate the site with the surrounding respecting zoning that creates a viable redevelopment opportunity and enhance the aesthetic appeal of the streetscape.”

The Indian Orchard fire station was built in 1897 and enlarged in 1906, according to a 2014 study.