First Selectman Austin Tanner said the board voted last week to move forward with the request to determine if anyone has interest in the building.
The Recreation Department moved out of the Prince Hill Road building in 2008. The building has water damage, collapsed ceilings, mold and damage from termites and rodents. Renovation estimates range from $31,000 to $130,000.
Selectmen voted in September 2008 and in February 2009 to demolish the building, budgeting $10,000 to raze it. But the building is a town asset, so approval from residents is required. The issue was never brought to town meeting.
Since 2008, groups have expressed interest in the building, Tanner said, but none has made a formal presentation to the town.
Selectmen have discussed options for the building, which include renovations by Harvard H. Ellis Technical High School and use of the building by the Last Green Valley and the town’s agricultural commission. Brooklyn resident Paul Archer, of Archer Surveying, has also expressed interest. Archer could not be reached for comment Monday.
Tanner said he spent last month researching the restrictions on the building. By deed, the building can only be used for recreation or conservation. Any other use would require permission from the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, Tanner said.
Tanner said the request for proposals will be broad and open to anyone interested in purchasing, leasing or renovating the building. But Tanner said some cautionary words for any potential buyer or tenant.
“The town doesn’t want to put money into it,” he said. “So if they wanted to (renovate) it, they’d have to do it themselves.”
Tanner said the board has not set a timeline for sending the request out.
Resident Paula Burns said she does not see a reason to rush to tear down the building, even though the town has been talking about it for years.
“If people are interested and will fix it up, the town should do what it can to help them,” Burns said.
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