Nathan Fisher House going back on the market
Westborough – After an unsuccessful try at finding a buyer for the historic Nathan Fisher House, the town of Westborough will be putting the property back out to bid.
A Request for Proposal (RFP) was issued for the property in June. The Aug. 2 deadline for proposals came and went with no takers.
Town Manager Jim Malloy said he was not surprised by the lack of bids.
“It is a property that needs a lot of work,” he said.
Malloy estimated that it will need an investment of close to a million dollars to make it usable. The home, which sits on 3.33 acres of land, is assessed at $875,100.
In addition to the financial investment needed to improve the house, the Massachusetts Historical Commission’s (MHC) preservation restrictions might be deterring interested parties. The MHC imposed restrictions that require a buyer to preserve the building’s exterior and historic appearance. Town official s sough t an d received approval from the state legislature and the governor to have the restrictions lifted, but the MHC is keeping the requirements in place; the MHC is the only governing body with the power to remove such restrictions from a historic property.
Malloy expects a new RFP to be published by the end of August and said there is still a possibility for a successful bid.
“It’s a matter of timing,” he said. “You never know who is in the market at any given time.”
The 3,696-square-foot building is located at 146 Oak St., overlooking the westbound side of Route 9. Originally built in 1820 as a home and later a business for Nathan Fisher, the building was once used as part of the Lyman School for Boys. It is currently zoned for Highway Business.
Malloy said that the town may consider auctioning the property if the new RFP fails to attract any bids.
Short URL: http://www.communityadvocate.com/?p=7793
Posted by Community Advocate Staff
on Aug 27 2010. Filed under Uncategorized.
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