This will be a disaster to the down town development. In recent years the Messina Plaza was done over in a great way and many other buildings have been cleaned up and polished. To make the site a low income housing development would set this back irrevocably. If any developer applied to build a project like this they would have to follow the State Mandate of Affordable housing percentages. This would mean that a higher percentage of the units would be standard price and they would have a blend of income levels and the town would be able to negotiate to administer who qualifies for the affordable units which means that Town Residents meeting the income requirements would be able to have first option. If all of the units are low income this is not an option and the developer would prefer tenants whose income is insured by government issue. I think that residents and business owners should take a stand against this type of development to guarantee continued positive growth down town.

The site is far more important to the town than 300k. Selectmen should invite prominent private developers, who have developed elderly housing to submit proposals. It's far more important to have the right development, than the 300k. The Selectmen should put a committee together to market this property and have them get input from appropriate boards and public to really define what would serve town's best long term interests in this area. As for affordable housing, the name sounds good but North Andover has plenty of existing homes and apartments at rents and prices that are less than so called affordable housing. Since the state's definition of affordable housing just means housing built or operated through a government program, the actual rents of any so-called affordable development would be higher than existing rents in town today and while that may be the best alternative, the decision really deserves more than a Selectmen meeting in private to decide.

Our very own modern slum. Police station is far away. Local residents easy prey. This encourages people to avoid downtown. North Andover elected officials will have converted a local community pillar into a community repellant in just a few years. It would be cheaper, and more useful, to bulldoze the building and convert land into a park for a decade or so until a real use for the land can be found.

I live downtown and frequent local businesses and would not agree that it is a slum now nor would it be if some affordable housing was added. I live close to a good deal of affordable housing and never have had any issue with the residents who live there. I have not seen reports of frequent crime in the area.

I would not agree that local officials are to blame for the state of the school. The school was functionally obsolete and converting it for alternate use was prohibitively expensive.

I hope that downtown continues to improve as it has over the past 4-5 years with the new Messina's plaza hosting several new businesses. The North Andover Merchant's Association has been instrumental in promoting and attracting new businesses.

Besides the proceeds of the sale, the increased economic activity from the housing units and retail/commercial units will improve the town's tax base.

Do we expect other offers?

This offer is contingent on state housing money and town community preservation act funds.

If I read the proposal correctly - The state money request is $5.5m. The CPA request is for $720k. So its going to cost "us" (the state and the town) over $6.2 million dollars to save $40k per year? This affordable housing doesn't sound very affordable.

I would like to sell the property to someone "free and clear". (And then we can have all the town boards beat up the developer - but that's a story for another day). How about a bank? Or a doctor's/dental building? Wait for it ... another Chinese restaurant ... or Rolf's II. I wonder what a charter school would cost.

Let's not confuse "Affordable" Housing with "Low Income" housing. The rules and regulations are totally different. The company that submitted the proposal "Specializes in low income housing". Consider the impact differential on the Town's cost of education for a "Low Income housing development" vs an affordable "Age Restricted" development.

300K!!! That's all??? Sounds like this property hasn't been marketed. I like Michael Quinlan's proposal to make a park for now. Who knows, maybe it could STAY a park or a playground.

Hey where's the article on 'Town Rejects Offer For Bradstreet'?

The school department could move in - slight renovation. Then the school department can have some vocational cooking school and run a restaurant to support the meals tax. Win, win for them and students and the town.

With the increase in student population maybe the town should just keep it just in case.

Still nothing on 'Town Rejects Offer For Bradstreet'?

Patch Bias? Day 3 - Still nothing on 'Town Rejects Offer For Bradstreet'? How is this not news worthy?

Patch Bias? Day 4 - Still nothing on 'Town Rejects Offer For Bradstreet'? North Andover Citizen and Eagle-Tribune has both run stories on this issue. They consider it a significant issue worth covering. Why has the Patch been quiet?