Buyer open to ideas on old Keene Middle School
As published on page one of the July 5, 2011 edition of The Keene Sentinel, and online.
Redevelopment of the old Keene Middle School building is likely to happen the way it was built: one section at a time.
Hudson-based MDP Development is under contract to buy the property for $1.35 million, with the deal scheduled to close after the Keene School District moves out in September.
But the company's development plans for the 135,000-square-foot building are far from set, according to Tony A. Marcotte, project manager for MDP.
The school was built in stages over the past century, beginning with the southern section in 1912.
It's essentially several buildings cobbled together, which gives the developer flexibility to approach it in sections, after some work on the exterior and entrances, Marcotte said.
And the company is looking for businesses that want to lease space in the building before it decides how to proceed.
"We've found in the past that if you design something that there isn't a lot of demand for you end up wasting money," Marcotte said.
The company bought the property because of its downtown location, without a particular plan in mind for how it would be used.
MDP does its own contracting and architectural work, Marcotte said, which allows it to take the time to find tenants and customize the building's interior renovations to meet their needs.
The school is in the city's central business district, where allowed uses range from retail space and restaurants to a fitness center or place of worship.
Residential development is a option, but not MDP's first choice, because of the extensive work it would take to make the old classrooms habitable, Marcotte said.
The most likely scenario is that the classrooms will be converted into offices, he said, with the sports fields providing space for parking.
But the school cafeteria has potential for commercial food service, and the locker rooms and gymnasium could be the groundwork for a new fitness center, according to Marcotte.
And the company has not ruled out the idea of larger retail tenants.
"If someone comes to us and says they want 40,000 square feet for a retail space, that would change things," Marcotte said.
The only limit, beyond those set by city zoning and permitting, is that the businesses are compatible with each other, he said. "Obviously we wouldn't do adult entertainment or manufacturing because that's not appropriate."
Renovations are likely to be costly. The building is out of compliance with many fire- and life-safety code requirements, one of the primary reasons it was deemed too expensive for the school to stay there.
The company hopes to find a tenant for the auditorium that will continue to use it as a performance space, according to Marcotte.
That may take a while, he says.
"We don't have to develop it; we don't have a bank breathing over our necks," he said.
But that doesn't mean people with ideas for businesses that could use some of the space in the school should wait too long.
"I would suggest people come to us early, because we do think it's a very desirable location," Marcotte said.
tagged with: business, development, Keene N.H.
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