LYNN — The city has decided the fate of the building at 2 State St., more than a year after acquiring it through eminent domain. Mayor Jared Nicholson said it will become a welcoming center for Lynn Public Schools.
The other options considered for the space were a fire dispatch call center or the Public Health Department.
“A final determination could not be made until we took ownership of the building and had full access. That process has been ongoing and we are at the point where we have identified the most prudent and efficient use, which is using all of the available space for the welcoming center,” Nicholson wrote in a statement to The Daily Item.
In April 2022, the City Council voted unanimously to authorize the purchase of the State Street building.
The total space available at the building is 5,902 square feet, according to Nicholson. Originally, he said the welcome center was to take up 3,000 square feet.
“After conducting a feasibility study to explore potential uses of the 2 State St. property, it was determined that relocating and fully integrating the Lynn Public Schools welcoming center there would require more space than originally thought. This is due to additional staffing and greater demand for the services offered by the welcoming center,” Nicholson wrote.
The welcoming center will need more than 5,000 square feet, he said.
“There will be 17 staff working in the building, 11 from the welcoming center and six for language testing. There will also be 10 testing stations included in the space,” Nicholson wrote.
What does this mean for the fire dispatch center and Public Health Department?
According to Nicholson, the Public Health Department acquired the necessary space on the first floor of City Hall, which allowed the department to add a community room to its office.
“A suitable space for fire-alarm dispatch continues to be a priority and we are actively exploring alternatives,” Nicholson wrote.
Chief of Inspectional Services Michael Donovan told The Item in August 2022 that the city has been renting the current fire dispatch station for more than 25 years. The city would like to own its own government-function buildings, he said.
“The city’s looking to put them in a city building. This is a function that is performed every day, and we’re in a spot where we’re renting,” Donovan said in August. “Usually, we don’t rent out police stations, we don’t rent out public schools, we’re not renting City Hall, so why are we renting the fire dispatch location?”
