Belchertown Selectmen Want the Town and MassDevelopment to Help Develop Former Belchertown State School Land

March 29, 2010 : The Republican, by John Appleton

BELCHERTOWN – The Board of Selectmen is supporting plans to link the town with its Economic Development Industrial Corp. and the quasi-public agency MassDevelopment in working jointly on demolition and decontamination at the former Belchertown State School campus.

“I see this as a positive move forward,” Selectmen Chairman James A. Barry said Monday.

The town's economic development corporation has been working for several years to attract commercial development to the former state school grounds.

While the development corporation's board of directors is appointed by the selectmen, it can act much like a private corporation in negotiating with potential developers and selling parcels of land which the town government may not legally do, but the town government may be eligible for some grants that would help the process.

Barry said working with MassDevelopment would enhance prospects of state assistance, particularly in the area of attracting grant money to remove asbestos and other contaminants from the development site.

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