MONSON — Officials from the Massachusetts Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance met with state Sen. Ryan Fattman (R-Sutton), state Rep. Brian Ashe (D-Longmeadow) and Monson town officials to begin discussing the reuse of the Monson Developmental Center, Town Administrator Jennifer Wolowicz told Reminder Publishing.
During the meeting, the parties agreed that Monson town officials would offer suggestions on potential uses of the property and DCAMM would “provide feedback” after reviewing the conditions and layout of the buildings, Wolowicz said.
“It was a momentous time,” Wolowicz said of the meeting, highlighting the significance of having “everyone at the table.”
The Monson Developmental Center is a state-owned facility located on 200 State Ave. Since it is no longer is in active use, the property is being overseen by DCAMM, Wolowicz explained.
The property was first utilized in 1852 for a state almshouse, according to the National Register of Historic Places. The property’s size and number of buildings varied over the next several years as the property was reused as a state primary school, a hospital for people with epilepsy and for agriculture.
Across the property, there are more than 20 structures in conditions “rang[ing] from excellent to extremely deteriorated or completely gone.” Most are constructed of brick and stand two or three stories high, the register states.
While the U.S. Department of the Interior lists the property’s size as 671 acres, Wolowicz stated that the current project only involves 100 acres and that the state had designated $14 million to the project.
The state and town officials plan to meet again in the spring to review updates on the project, Wolowicz said.
