Robert McCarroll, chairman of Springfield’s Historic Commission, shared news today that 52 Westminster Street (pictured at left; photo by Bill Dusty) in the city’s McKnight neighborhood will be available for viewing during a series of open houses this month. Volunteers from the Springfield Preservation Trust will be at the property tomorrow, Saturday, June 2, starting at 10:00 am, to clean and prepare it.
The property, which is a vacant 2.5-story, 4,000-square-foot, circa-1882 Victorian home on an 11,520-square-foot lot, needs substantial renovation, as blogger Bill Dusty has documented some from outside. The city recently posted notice that the home is up for sale, with an acceptable minimum bid starting at $1,000.
“The City is most interested in proposals which will renovate this house and restore to its appearance in 1939,” the request for proposals states. “The City is most interested in achieving single family owner-occupancy, but will consider proposals that include a rental unit. The rental unit would require approval by the board of appeals.” An RFP packet will be available starting June 6, and bids are due by August 15.
The open houses are scheduled for:
Saturday, June 9 at 1:00 pm
Tuesday, June 12 at 3:00 pm
Saturday, June 16 at 1:00 pm
Wednesday, June 20 at 6:00 pm
Saturday, June 23 at 1:00 pm
To volunteer to help or ask further questions about the property and its history, McCarroll can be reached at (413) 736-0629. Questions about the RFP can be directed to Lauren in the Springfield Purchasing Department at (413) 787-6284.
