NORTHAMPTON — The city of Northampton is officially soliciting bids for the purchase and redevelopment of the property at 33 King St.
The building, which used to be the probate court, family court and Hampshire County Registry of Deeds, was transferred from the state to the city last summer and has been vacant since 2019. According to the request for proposals document, the building was constructed in 1975.
The city is now looking for a developer to buy the 1.46-acre location and redevelop it into a “new multi-story building that compliments existing and surrounding, architecture and the residential, and business environment.”
According to the RFP, the city is looking for a minimum bid of $2.5 million and developers have until July 10 at 1 p.m. to submit a bid.
The Northampton City Council officially approved the RFP’s language and criteria for the building during a September meeting. During that time, the council and a couple of its committees workshopped language around a point-based scoring system within the RFP to help determine which projects from bidders are considered more advantageous to the city.
The parcel of land currently sits in the city’s central business core district, which allows for a range of mixed uses.
According to the RFP, certain proposals that include features like mixed income housing, 20 or more parking spaces and/or a multi-story building with three floors would be considered favorably.
The city is also looking for any project proposals that would benefit the vibrancy of the downtown area like a multi-story hotel, housing of any kind or other economic development that generates an active street life.
“The city will accept bids that meet the city’s bid minimum, this RFP and generate the greatest revenue to the city upon evaluation based on a 10-year horizon of financial benefit to the city,” reads the RFP.
Once a bid is rewarded by the city, the developer will have until Oct. 31 to close on the property. Readers can learn more about the City Council process last fall by visiting past reporting: thereminder.com/localnews/northampton/northampton-city-council-approves-rfp-for-sale-of-/.
