Minimum bid for Asylum building set at $400,000

Date: 7/24/2012

By G. Michael Dobbs

news@thereminder.com

SPRINGFIELD — City officials have changed their plans for the former Asylum nightclub building at the corner of Main and Worthington streets. Instead of owning and leasing out space, the city has released a Request for Proposal (RFP) looking for a buyer.

The minimum bid for the 13,600 square foot building and 21-space parking lot is $400,000.

Chief Development Officer Kevin Kennedy said the change in plan was due to the redevelopment of the downtown area.

"I think that downtown is come back quite a bit," he told Reminder Publications last week. Kennedy cited the move into downtown of hundreds of workers employed by Thing5 and the relocation of Cambridge College into Tower Square.

The announced start of the Union Station project was another factor in the decision, he added.

"I think commercial real estate is coming back," Kennedy said. "It's better to be on the tax rolls."

The city had taken the building in 2009. Built in the 1930s, in the more recent past, it had been an office for the Department of Transitional Assistance and then a controversial rave nightclub.

Assisted by two state grants, the city demolished two-thirds of the building to create a parking lot, a new roof, new upper floor windows, removed asbestos and installed a new boiler and sprinkler system. The building has a full basement and a mezzanine.

During the construction period, there were reports the Springfield Parking Authority was going to be a tenant and manage the new parking space. The Springfield Business Improvement District was also mentioned as a possible tenant.

Other announced plans included using the parking lot at night for various events and on weekend for a farmers' market. Kennedy said that because of the nature of one of the grants, the person or business that buys the building — now dubbed "1600 Main Street" — would have to relinquish the parking lot six to eight times a year for a market.

Interested parties should contact the city's Office of Procurement at 787-6284 or visit www.comm-pass.com. There will be a walk through open house on Aug. 1 from 2 to 3 p.m. The deadline for the RFP is Aug. 13.