The price of the old library has gone up. This week, in a phone interview, Selectman Leo Blair said that he has put together two proposals for the Harvard Cultural Collaborative (HCC), a nonprofit organization looking to create an arts and culture center in the old library. One is to sell the building to the collaborative for a dollar with the condition that it make certain improvements, such as making the building accessible. The other proposal is to sell the building to the HCC for $300,000 and allow it to pay only interest, which he said would be the equivalent of the rent the town was planning on charging. The principal would be reduced by the amount of any improvements the collaborative makes to the building.
“People have been so excited about the General Store. I feel we’re overlooking what the town has repeatedly said they want in a town center. We don’t want the old library to become a museum piece.”
—Lucy Wallace, selectwoman
The first proposal is based on one that Blair floated at last week’s meeting of the Board of Selectmen, but with conditions attached; the second is new. Unlike HCC’s original offer to lease the old library from the town—an arrangement that is the foundation of the group’s business plan—either one of Blair’s options would shift the responsibility (and cost) of improving the accessibility of the 1887 building and bringing it up to code from the town to the collaborative. Last week the collaborative was asked to consider the dollar sale of the building and return to the Dec 15 selectmen’s meeting with a decision. But meanwhile, the deal is being tweaked. HCC member Willie Wickman said she had heard a version of one of the new deals from Selectman Stu Sklar. Wickman and other HCC members were to meet with Blair and Selectman Ken Swanton later this week.
HCC: Taking it seriously
Wickman said that the group is taking Blair’s initial proposal to buy the library seriously and is trying to figure out what it means. “We’re thinking about it, but we feel we’ve submitted a solid business plan and we’re hoping we can sit down and talk about all of the possibilities,” said Wickman. She added that selling the old library would require a vote at Town Meeting, so the collaborative believes it should continue to consider both buying and leasing the library. “Our vision remains the same,” she said. “We feel a community arts and cultural center is a wonderful use of the old library. The building is a treasure of our town, a source of pride and a legacy for future generations.”
Leo Blair: Too many old buildings
One of the motivations behind Blair’s proposals is to relieve the town of the financial burden of renovating two more old buildings: the old library and Bromfield House. Renovation costs for Bromfield House are in the equation because school administration offices will likely stay in that building if HCC moves into the old library. “It’s not a question of whether or not a cultural center is a good idea,” said Blair. “I have no opinion about that. It’s a decision of whether or not we’re going to renovate one or two old buildings.”
Blair’s idea is to sell one of the old buildings to the collaborative at a discount price, on the condition that it bring the building up to code and make it accessible, leaving only one building the town has to renovate. He added that he thought the offer was generous, and he attributed the group’s negative reaction to its expectations. He said there was a disconnect between the group’s expectations of the selectmen and the political and financial realities of the collaborative’s plan. He attributed that disconnect to HCC members’ enthusiasm, saying, “They need to leave their enthusiasm at the door.”
When asked for his opinion about the best use of the old library, Blair said he thinks school administration offices should move to the main floor, and the ground floor could continue to be used for meetings and for town record storage. He said he thinks that money required to make the building accessible might come from the schools. Asked what would then happen to Bromfield House, Blair said, “It could be sold or used to house the superintendent, or as a rental property. It could house the HCC. They have been unwilling to consider that.”
Blair also objects to the collaborative’s lease plan because he doesn’t think Harvard taxpayers should be “subsidizing for-profit activities at below-market rents.” The HCC’s business plan lists room rental fees at $15 an hour for the smallest rooms the first year, increasing to $23 an hour by 2018. Not all planned use of the space is for classes, but classes taught by private instructors would be for-profit activities. The plan calls for the HCC to pay the town $400 a month in rent in 2017, increasing to $500 a month in 2018.
In conclusion, Blair said, “I think it’s great if we had a place where cultural and art activities could occur. I think there’s a segment of the population that would enjoy it. Our role is representing those people and all the other people in Harvard.”
Lucy Wallace: Board needs to show support
Selectwoman Lucy Wallace said she was frustrated by the board’s unwillingness to express enthusiasm for the collaborative moving into the old library. “Something that makes this town attractive to people moving in is a very strong sense of community,” said Wallace. “There are lots of ways to be engaged. I think people have a sense that there are many things that go on in this town and many ways to meet people with similar interests. The cultural collaborative wants to add to that. I’m distressed that the selectmen aren’t hearing that and saying, ‘Let’s see how we can help you do it.’”
Wallace added that school administration offices would not contribute to the vibrancy of town center, and that School Committee members have made it clear they don’t want to compete with the collaborative. “People have been so excited about the General Store. I feel we’re overlooking what the town has repeatedly said that they want in the town center. We don’t want the old library to become a museum piece.”
The one thing Wallace found appealing about Blair’s plan was that by selling the building to a private party, the cost of any renovations would go down. “I know when it’s a public building, the cost is double,” said Wallace. But she questioned if the town would be willing to sell it, and what agreement might be put in place for the town to buy it back if the collaborative left the building.
Wallace wants the board to have a conversation with the collaborative about how to move forward. “We have a group committed to trying to make something work in the old library,” said Wallace. “Maybe we’ll find out it’s not going to work, but at least we can say we tried.”
Ron Ricci: A town decision
Selectmen Chairman Ron Ricci said that, on the surface, selling the building to the collaborative does seem like a good proposal, but he has some reservations. For one thing, it would be the town’s decision to sell the building, and it would have to go through the procurement process, which would allow other parties to bid on the building. Town Administrator Tim Bragan is checking to see if the state will allow conditions to be put on the sale that would fit only a buyer that was a nonprofit cultural organization. Ricci said he’s heard people in town say, “If they’re offering it to them for a dollar, I’ll buy it for two.”
Ricci also had reservations about any conditions of the sale that would restore ownership of the building to the town at some point in the future. He said if the cultural collaborative made improvements to the building and it eventually came back to the town, the state could contend that the town sold the building with the intent of avoiding municipal building construction costs.
Ricci, like Blair, emphasized that the selectmen are responsible for representing all of the voters. “I think some of the things they want to do are really great, but they’re just one group in town,” said Ricci. “We have to look out for the interests of the entire town.”
Selectmen Sklar and Swanton
Selectman Stu Sklar had this to say: “The HCC has brought forth a sound plan for keeping the old library in use for what it was designed for—a place for people to gather, share stories, expand their minds, and nurture a sense of community.” He expressed a hope that the board and the HCC could negotiate terms that would help the collaborative succeed. “This is a seminal moment for the town center, and the Board of Selectmen should help make this happen.” Selectman Ken Swanton simply said, “I’m hoping we can find a way to both have a vibrant use of the old library and reduce our tax burden.”
