Proposals are due Nov. 21, and open houses are scheduled.
This house at 120 Mill St. in Springfield is up for sale by the city for redevelopment.
SPRINGFIELD — The city, in an effort to save two tax-foreclosed historic houses on Mill Street, is seeking proposals from interested buyers willing to redevelop the sites, with the city offering to provide federal Community Development Block Grant assistance.
The city has extended the deadline for proposals, now due Nov. 21, for the properties at 120 and 175 Mill St., in the Maple Hill Historic District.
“We are very hopeful we can get these properties redeveloped,” said Tina Quagliato, deputy director of housing. “They are obviously historical assets to the city.”
Robert McCarroll, a member of the Historical Commission, praised the city for offering incentives.
The city is willing to provide an interest-free, forgivable loan of up to $50,000 to the buyer of the house at 175 Mill St. and an incentive of up to $25,000 for the house at 120 Mill St. from the federal block grant money. Half the loans will be forgiven upon issuance of certificates of occupancy, and the remaining amount will be forgiven over a five-year period if they remain owner-occupied, according to the request for proposals.
There is an open house scheduled Oct. 31 at 1 p.m. at 175 Mill St., and on the same date at 2 p.m. at 120 Mill St., for potential buyers.
Both houses were constructed circa 1890.
Under a request for proposals, the city is not obligated to take the high bid, but rather evaluates the proposals based on factors such as: experience and capacity; project feasibility; readiness to proceed; level of investment; owner-occupancy preferred; and historic preservation.
The ultimate goal is that buyers are found that are willing to fix up the houses, put them back on the tax rolls and become neighborhood assets, McCarroll said.
“We create local historic districts to preserve the historic buildings that are within them,” McCarroll said. “Some, sadly, stop paying taxes, stop maintenance, and quite often when the city gets them, they are in rough shape.”
The city has also offered block grant incentives to help redevelop other similar historic properties that have fallen in disrepair, McCarroll said.
Proposals received will be reviewed by an appointed committee, and the purchase needs approval from the mayor and City Council.