Swampscott to consider modifying middle school RFP

SWAMPSCOTT – Town Meeting will be asked to loosen restrictions for developers interested in developing the old middle school on Greenwood Avenue.One of the restrictions included in the initial Request for Proposals was a requirement that the developer preserve the oldest portion of the building.Selectman and Town Building Oversight Committee member Jill Sullivan told selectmen there was a lot of interest in the property initially. She said when the RFP was issued last year, 37 prospective developers picked up the packets yet only one actually submitted a bid. The town rejected that RFP because the bid was too low.Sullivan said the Town Building Oversight Committee recommends placing an article on the Town Meeting warrant to remove the provision that preserves the oldest portion of the building. Sullivan said it appears developers think that portion of the building would be too expensive to renovate.The Greenwood Avenue building was built in 1895 and has been used as a high school and middle school. The former school sits on a 90,000 square foot parcel and the expected selling price is approximately $2.1 million. The initial RFP specified only materials compatible with the existing building would be used for the project. Some of the zoning revisions under consideration for that site include limiting the height of the structures and requiring two parking spaces for each unit.The former middle school on Greenwood Avenue has been zoned for up to 41 residential units.Sullivan said all other provisions of the RFP, including setbacks and height, would remain unchanged.