By Betsy Levinson — Betsy@concordbridge.org
What about Peabody?
With the new middle school opening next year, combining the former Sanborn and Peabody buildings into a new facility, Peabody will become a town property. Sanborn will be demolished.
But what will become of the hulking facility on Old Marlboro Road?
Town Chief Financial Officer Anthony Ansaldi said Peabody “would be turned over to the town in the Spring of 2025.” That will require a Town Meeting vote of acceptance.
But “mothballing” the building has its own risks, Ansaldi said, citing the cost of minimal maintenance and the difficulty of insuring a vacant building.
The Select Board will send out Letters of Interest for developers who might want to buy the property, Board Chair Mary Hartman said.
Ansaldi said the LOIs are designed to find out who may be interested
before the town goes through the formal sale or disposal process.
“It’s important for the town to start considering what it wants to do,” said Ansaldi.
FinCom members said the playing fields associated with Peabody should be included in the Letters of Interest to potential buyers.
The building is assessed at $15 to $17 million.
