Monday, April 28, 2014

Town Posts Request for Expression of Interest Document

The Town of Franklin has posted the official Request for Expressions of Interest for the 150 Emmons Street property on its website. Below is the first page of the document. To see the entire document, click here

Anyone interested in joining the Emmons Street Steering Committee should contact Denise Schultz at deniselynnschultz@gmail.com

150 Emmons Street, Franklin, MA


Request for Expressions of Interest


150 Emmons Street, Franklin, MA


The Town of Franklin is pleased to present this Request for Expressions of Interest (REI) for the future redevelopment of 150 Emmons Street, site of the former Municipal Building. The Town-owned property consists of one (1) parcel totaling 34,795+/- square feet (0.7988+/- acres), located at one of the key gateways to Franklin Center and adjacent to Dean College. The Town has chosen to proceed with a REI at this time to solicit informal, yet serious proposals, subject to the process detailed herein, from qualified developers and other interested parties who wish to purchase or lease and redevelop the property.
The REI process is critical for a better understanding of existing market conditions, the formation of potential development options for the property, and the identification of community priorities. This process will provide the community with the information needed to ensure a meaningful and productive public process, which will lead to a formal Request for Proposals (RFP) in autumn of 2014. The Town has the following goal for the development of the 150 Emmons Street site:
Redevelopment of the site into a key gateway into Downtown Franklin, which will maximize short-term and long-term benefits to the Town and its residents.
Each Expression of Interest must include a letter of interest and a project description/narrative. The letter of interest must be signed by the principals, describe the proponent’s interest in the property and the general intentions concerning the future use of the site. This letter shall also contain the nature and status of the organization acting as the proponent (whether a non-profit or charitable institution, a corporation, a business association, or a joint venture) and the jurisdiction in which it is registered to conduct business. The project description must include narrative that provides an overview of the proposal, the market niche the project intends to serve, the experience and qualifications of the development team, and the capabilities the developer can marshal to achieve project objectives. A description of expected financial benefits to the Town, both short-term and long-term, must be included in each Expression of Interest.
The Town offers you the opportunity to learn more about the site through participation in an Information Session and Site Tour scheduled for Wednesday, May 21, 2014 at 10 a.m. The Town invites you to examine the information contained within this document, its attachments, and related reference documents that are available for review in the Department of Planning and Community Development during normal business hours (Monday, Tuesday and Thursday - 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM, Wednesday - 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM, and Friday - 8:00 AM to 1:00 P.M), or on the Town’s website (http://town.franklin.ma.us/Pages/FranklinMA_Planning/150EmmonsREI).
The Town hopes to hear from individuals and organizations who will present compelling and appropriate development proposals for the use of 150 Emmons Street. Please submit Expressions of Interest to the Department of Planning and Community Development by Thursday, July 31, 2014 at 4:00 p.m.
Bryan Taberner, AICP, Director
Department of Planning and Community Development 355 East Central Street
Franklin, MA 02038
508-520-4907
Fax: 508-520-4906