NEW: Worcester’s Higgins Armory Museum to Go Up for Sale
Wednesday, November 13, 2013
A selection from Higgins' Great Hall, which houses 40 suits of armor and a multitude of artifacts from Medieval and Renaissance times.
In order to facilitate the sale, Higgins has brought in an advisory committee comprised of real estate, urban planning and historic architecture experts. Higgins leadership will look to solicit proposals and select that which balances the future use of the building with purchase price and cost and time considerations.
“This is not a typical commercial real estate sale,” said Suzanne Maas, the interim director at Higgins. “Given the unique history and design of the building, the impending integration with the Worcester Art Museum, and our desire to be transparent, we have undertaken extensive due diligence in preparing for this endeavor.”
Public Forum
On Thursday, November 20 at 4:00 p.m., the museum will host a public forum in its auditorium to allow members of the community to provide thoughts regarding the building and the process by which it will be transitioned. This input will be considered as the advisory committee shapes the Request for Proposal (RFP), which will serve as the framework against which all proposals must be submitted. The public forum will focus exclusively on the building, and will not consider other issues related to the museum’s closing.
“This building has been a piece of the community for generations,” said James C. Donnelly, Jr., Esq., a long-time trustee who has served as the president of Higgins since 2009. “We feel strongly that members of the community should be given an opportunity to voice their thoughts and concerns about its future.”
Future of the Museum
Beginning in early 2014, the museum will work with a realtor to solicit proposals for the 42,000 square foot structure, along with the approximately 4.75 acres of land.
“We’re not necessarily looking for the buyer who’s going to write us the biggest check,” added Donnelly. “Our goal is to ensure that the future owner of the building takes into consideration the community impact, and is able to take ownership within a reasonable timeframe.”
For more information about the building transition, as well as a calendar of events taking place before the museum closes on December 31, please visit www.higgins.org.
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