Town of Ashland Seeking Proposals For Former Police & Fire Stations Downtown

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ASHLAND -The Town of Ashland has nearly completed the construction of a brand new public safety building at 12 Union Street.  This facility will house the Ashland Police and Fire Departments and provide state of the art support for the dedicated teams. 

The $30 million project began in spring 2021 and will be fully functional by the end of the year.

This completion creates vacancy at the current Police and Fire locations at 137 and 151 Main Street.  

In anticipation of the vacancy, the Town of Ashland is soliciting ideas through a process called Request for Interest (RFI) in which interested parties submit their ideas and thoughts for the reuse of these facilities. This Request for Interest is a non-binding process that will be used for informational purposes. Information received will be reviewed by the town residents in a public forum setting and feedback from that meeting will be used to develop a formal Request for Proposals (RFP) for the utilization/disposition of these two sites.

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The RFP will yield a more developed reuse proposal with more concrete information as to plans and purpose for the buildings, as well as financial considerations.  Proposals that include housing will not be accepted and there will be a required preservation restriction on the façade of the fire station.

“These two sites provide a unique opportunity to bring something unique to our downtown” states Michael Herbert, Ashland Town Manager, “We are looking forward to receiving a number of creative and viable ideas, hopefully from within our own community” he adds. 

Over the past two years the town has invested in a major streetscape project in the downtown area.  This project includes undergrounding utilities, paving, new sidewalks, and lighting and placemaking areas.  “This is the perfect time to invest in Ashland”, states Beth Reynolds, Director of Economic Development and Community Outreach, “anyone willing to invest in Ashland should expect a huge return as the improvements being made will create a vibrant and active downtown area.” 

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A general site tour/walkthrough has been scheduled for November 10, 11 a.m.

 This highly recommended tour will begin promptly beginning at 151 Main Street.

Interested parties will have the opportunity to walk through both properties. 

Letters of Interest and submittals for this RFI must be received by December 6, 2022 at 11:00am at Town Hall, 101 Main Street, Town Managers Office, 1st Floor, Ashland, MA 01721. Questions can be directed in writing to Jenn Ball at jball@ashlandmass.com

Interested parties can obtain a Request for Interest (RFI) at https://www.ashlandmass.com/Bids.aspx

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