NORTHBOROUGH — There may be light at the end of the tunnel regarding the White Cliffs estate, with the town disclosing that there are two interested bidders in the historic property.
During Town Meeting on May 1, in which several articles related to the estate were discussed, Department of Public Works Director Scott Charpentier announced that two bidders have approached the town with interest in taking over the historic mansion, located at 167 Main St.
One bidder is Nicky's Gardens of Hope, a nonprofit serving special-needs adults, which according to Charpentier would build a new building adjacent to the mansion to be a living facility for adults, and turn the existing mansion into a pub, cafe?, gift shop and event space.
"They are proposing to restore the existing building and convert it into a pub and event center on the first floor, as well as a cafe? and a gift shop," Charpentier said. "They are also proposing to build a second structure, which will be a supportive adult residence for those with disabilities."
Another bidder, Elegant Banquets, would restore the historic mansion and build a new ballroom, seemingly to become a wedding venue.
"They are going to build a new ballroom for events, seating capacity between 250 and 300. The first floor would be restored to the historic mansion with a room dedicated to the history of the property, while the second floor would include a bridal suite," Charpentier said. "They are also offering free community space during off-days."
Charpentier said that the town is still in the early stages with the proposals and did not disclose a potential bid price. Charpentier said that following the town election on May 13, a new review committee will be put together to compare the bids.
Later in the meeting, Town Meeting declined to put a historic deed restriction on the property which would grant the Select Board authority to make a decision on the White Cliffs site. Instead, if the review committee determines one of the bids is suitable, a special Town Meeting will be called to vote on a future sale of the property.
Long history of finding future for historic property
Town Meeting first purchased the property in 2016. The historic White Cliffs mansion was once the summer home of firearms tycoon Daniel Wesson and was built in 1886, containing 32 rooms and at a cost of $9.5 million in today's money.
The town first purchased the property for $1.5 million after plans were announced to demolish the property. Since CPC funds were used to purchase the property under the category of historic preservation, the town can only renovate or sell the property with the intent of preserving the historic estate, which has limited its options for finding a suitable buyer.
Plans to attract a buyer who would use White Cliffs as a restaurant or wedding venue, as the property had been used for decades before the town purchased the estate, have attracted little interest. A proposal to construct apartment units on the property was declined by the Northborough Select Board due to abutter concerns.
At one point, a Town Offices Feasibility Study Committee suggested to the Select Board that a new town hall could be hosted at White Cliffs, which would provide plenty of space and parking to house town offices. The Select Board expressed skepticism due to the estimated $44.6 million cost, along with the need to fund other construction projects, such as a new fire station and a new Peaslee Elementary School.
In December a MassDevelopment grant that would have paid for the demolition of a portion of the estate that was built in the 1960s was denied, with the agency that administers the grant saying that White Cliffs had to have a definitive plan for reuse in order for it to receive the grant.
Town Meeting approves spending to investigate demolition of 1960s renovations
Earlier in the evening, town meeting approved an appropriation of $93,940 in Community Preservation Act funding to go toward setting up a bid process for demolition of the portion of the building.
"It's been nine years since at this Town Meeting, by more than a two-thirds majority of voters, the town approved to purchase the White Cliffs property, and save it from demolition," Community Preservation Committee chair John Campbell said. "Since then there has been no shortage of opinions on what we should have done, what we could have done, what we should still do. With that being said, it is time to move forward."
Campbell said the article is a necessary first step in eventually making the building more attractive for sale, with the destruction of a renovated portion of the mansion that was constructed in the 1960s, meaning it holds no historic value. That section of the mansion is also responsible for some of the code violations on the property, leading to water leaks, mold and mildew intrusion.
"This article and the effort is the first stage to propel the restoration and prepare the mansion for reuse, whether it be sold, leased or maintained for the town," Campbell said.
Town Meeting also approved a $166,575 payment in in CPA funding to go toward debt service related to the purchase of White Cliffs.