>>> IF YOU WERE TO DRIVE ACROSS WESTERN NEW ENGLAND, ONE OF THE
THINGS THAT WOULD CATCH YOUR EYE IS THE WIDE ARRAY OF HISTORIC
BUILDINGS.
THE ARCHITECTURE OF THE REGION SPANS HUNDREDS OF YEARS, WITH
MANY BUILDINGS THAT ARE CENTURIES OLD STILL STANDING
TODAY.
IN NORTH HADLEY, ONE SUCH BUILDING, WHICH HAS SERVED THE
VILLAGE SINCE THE CIVIL WAR, IS ON THE BRINK OF BEING
DEMOLISHED.
"CONNECTING POINT'S" ROSS LIPPMAN BRINGS US THE CHALLENGE
THE TOWN FACES OVER WHAT TO DO WITH NORTH HADLEY VILLAGE HALL.
>> WELL, THE BUILDING ITSELF HAS CHANGED.
THE ROOMS DOWNSTAIRS HAVE CHANGED, THE UPSTAIRS HERE HAS
BEEN ENTIRELY CHANGED.
THEY USED TO BE PEWS ON THIS SIDE, PEWS ON THIS SIDE.
YOU SEE IN THE BACK OF THE ROOM THE WOMEN WOULD SIT ON THIS SIDE
OF THE CHURCH AND THE MEN WOULD SIT ON THIS SIDE.
>> IT IS A PLACE PETER McKRESKY WAS LAST INSIDE 67 YEARS AGO.
>> THE BUILDING WAS MORE ORIGINAL BACK THEN.
IT HAD A USE.
IT HAD A FUNCTION.
RIGHT NOW IT IS EMPTY, IT HAS BEEN ALTER AND IT IS NOTHING
LIKE IT WAS BEFORE.
>> THE MOST EMPTY NORTH HADLEY VILLAGE HALL HAS BEEN IN ITS
155-YEAR HISTORY.
BUILT IN 1864 THE VILLAGE HALL HAS SERVED NORTH HADLEY AS A
FIRE DEPARTMENT, LIBRARY, A SCHOOL AND A CHURCH.
BUT NOW ITS AGE IS SHOWING AND TIME IS NOT ON ITS SIDE.
>> IT IS A LITTLE BIT OF A DILEMMA SMALL TOWNS ARE FACED
WITH THAT WE HAVE THESE AGING BUILDINGS THAT ARE COSTLY TO
MAINTAIN AND THEN THIS BUILDING IN PARTICULAR HAS FALLEN OUT OF
MAINTENANCE OVER THE YEARS AND REALLY AT THIS POINT IF THE TOWN
WERE TO TOUCH IT, I BELIEVE THAT WE'D HAVE TO BRING IT ALL UP TO
MODERN DAY CODE.
>> REPAIRS HADLEY SELECT BOARD CHAIR CHRISTIAN STANLEY SAY THE
TOWN ISN'T WILLING TO PAY FOR.
AS A RESULT, NORTH HADLEY VILLAGE HALL IS ON THE MARKET TO
BE SOLD.
IF THE TOWN CAN'T FIND A BUYER, THE BUILDING WILL LIKELY BE
DEMOLISHED >> HAVING TO GUT THE WHOLE
BUILDING AND BRING IT UP TO MODERN STANDARDS, WHEN YOU START
PRICING THAT OUT AT PREVAILING WAGE, IT JUST GETS COST
PROHIBITIVE FOR A SMALL TOWN LIKE HADLEY TO DO IT WHEN WE
DON'T HAVE A DIRECT NEED FOR THIS BUILDING AND THERE ARE
OTHER NEEDS IN TOWN.
>> BECAUSE OF ALL THE RESTORATION NEEDED, HADLEY
DOESN'T FIND ITSELF IN A POSITION OF LEVERAGE WHEN IT
COMES TO AN ASKING PRICE.
THE MARKET VALUE IS SOMEWHERE AROUND $250,000, BUT IT LIKELY
WON'T GET THAT MUCH BECAUSE OF THE REPAIRS NEEDED, WHICH FALL
SOMEWHERE IN THE RANGE OF $3 MILLION TO $7 MILLION.
>> THE FIGURES WERE ASTRONOMICAL.
THEY ARE ALL HISTORIC, BUT THE PEOPLE HAVE THE LAST SAY ON IT.
>> THE TOWN HAS PUT THE MATTER TO SEVERAL NONBINDING VOTES
INCLUDING ONE IN JUNE WHERE 62% OF VOTERS SAID THEY WOULD PREFER
TO INVEST IN AN OPEN SPACE WHERE THE HALL CURRENTLY STANDS THAN
THE COST TO REPAIR THE BUILDING.
>> I LOVE HADLEY, I LOVE OUR BUILDINGS.
I HOPE THIS BUILDING CAN BE SAVED FOR PUBLIC USE.
>> RESIDENTS FROM THE HISTORICAL AND PRESERVATION SOCIETY SEE IT
DIFFERENTLY.
>> I DEFINITELY THINK PRESERVING OLD BUILDINGS AND HISTORY IS NOT
A POLITICAL PRIORITY.
IT IS NOT GETTING THE SPENDING THAT I THINK IT DESERVES.
TOWNS ALL OVER NEW ENGLAND HAVE BEAUTIFUL OLD BUILDINGS FALLING
APART FOR LACK OF MAINTENANCE.
IT IS DIFFICULT TO DECIDE HOW MUCH IS HISTORY WORTH?
>> I THINK IT HAD ENORMOUS HISTORIC VALUE.
THIS BUILDING WAS BUILT BY THE PERSON WHO OWNED THAT BUILDING
ACROSS THE STREET.
HE LIVED THERE.
HE WAS THE RICHEST PERSON IN TOWN.
HE BUILT THIS AS A SCHOOL.
HE BUILT IT AS A SCHOOL FOR THE CHILDREN OF NORTH HADLEY AND
GAVE IT TO THE TOWN.
THAT IS QUITE MEANINGFUL.
>> RESIDENTS OPPOSED ALSO SAY SELLING THE PROPERTY TO A
PRIVATE BUYER WOULD RESTRICT THE PUBLIC'S ACCESS TO LAKE WARNER,
WHICH SITS BEHIND THE BUILDING.
DESPITE THESE CONCERNS THE TOWN HAS GIVEN ITSELF FIVE MORE
MONTHS TO FINALLY DECIDE WHAT WILL BECOME OF NORTH HADLEY
VILLAGE HALL.
>> I BELIEVE THE DEADLINE TO RECEIVE BIDS FOR THE PROPERTY IS
AUGUST 24th AND THEN, YOU KNOW, THE SELECT BOARD HAS DECIDED IF
WE DON'T SELL THE BUILDING BY DECEMBER OR THE END OF DECEMBER,
I FORGET THE EXACT DATE THERE, TOO, WE'LL LOOK AT OTHER OPTIONS
AT THAT POINT BESIDES SELLING IT.
SO THAT COULD BE DEMOLISHING IT.
IT MIGHT BE THE ONLY THING WE CAN DO.
>> IF THAT BECOMES THE VILLAGE HALL'S ULTIMATE FATE --
>> I WOULD FEEL TERRIBLE.
I WOULD FEEL VERY SAD.
>> IT WOULD BE AS THOUGH SOMETHING IS MISSING, PUT IT
THAT WAY.
IT HAS BEEN HERE FOR SO LONG AND GENERATIONS WENT TO SCHOOL HERE
AND TO CHURCH HERE AND IT WOULD CERTAINLY CREATE A VOID.