Date: 12/12/2018
I think Memorial School is a good building to house our Senior Center, Recreation Office, Veteran’s Agent and Senior and Veteran’s Housing. I have corresponded with John Catlin, the New Hampshire Architect, that the Senior Center Feasibility Study Committee is using, and who states that the cost of making Memorial School useable as a senior center is greater than the cost to build a new one.
When I asked him to itemize the costs, to bring them to his total cost, he admitted that he hadn't done a survey and didn’t know what the individual costs would be. I suspect that he would prefer a new building because it would mean a fee to him as a percentage of the cost of building the new building along with a fee for supervising the constriction. Also the question of bringing the whole building “up to code,” wasn’t the building up to code when it was leased to the Diocese of Springfield to house Cathedral High School? In any event, the cost of bringing it up to code shouldn't be excessive. As to their claims that it would need sprinklers and central air-conditioning, a new building would include the cost of those as well.
I wonder why they choose to hire a New Hampshire architect when we have an excellent one right here in Wilbraham, Roy Brown, who did a study and report on Memorial School as well as all of the Town Buildings with a maintenance schedule. He has designed and supervised the roofs, replacement of the windows with insulated ones, handicapped bathroom etc. He certainly knows much more about Memorial School than the architect from New Hampshire. Maybe the reason is because the director wants a new building.
As for the funding, I can think of a few sources including: Wilbraham Community Preservation Funds for not only the senior center but also recreation office, veteran’s agent and affordable housing for veterans and seniors, stabilization fund and free cashbonding, grants both federal and state.
Donald Flannery
Wilbraham
