Plans – Projects – Possibilities – Interview with Gardner Mayor Michael Nicholson
Only July 29, 2024, we had the honor of speaking with Gardner Mayor Michael Nicholson about various BIG NEWS of the Chair City. Listen on any device. CLICK PLAY.
Some Highlights:
We spoke to Mayor Nicholson about the $925,000 in CDBG Grants which will fund the demolition of the School Street School and allow for expanded parking and recreation space. Balance will fund other programs. SEE SEPARATE ARTICLE.
Waterford Street School is now officially a building which can be used for any municipal use after signature from the Governor on a bill in the past week. Once City Council formally votes the building to be surplus, leases can be undertaken with tenants and the Community Center can really move forward. Roof to be replaced soon at no cost to the City as part of an agreement to put solar panels on the roof.
Ovila Case: Insurance adjusters came out July 21st and approved claim for playground equipment which was damaged by a storm. All equipment will be replaced by approximately October this year. City is also awaiting news on a grant to double the size.
Park Street Park getting positive feedback, is used for Yoga and also now the weekly Farmers Market
Maki Park is moving forward. Stairs have been installed first. Ramps will also be installed for ADA accessibility.
Baily Brook Park Disc Golf Course is underway. The Mayor stated, “We’re getting tons of great feedback on people saying that this is probably going to be one of the better disc golf courses that we have in North Central Massachusetts, if not in all of Worcester County.”
Capital Improvement Committee meeting again on July 31st because Gardner Elementary School is $8 million under budget. Suggestion is funds could be used for other school projects. This will allow Gardner to catch up on items which are needed but the budget has not allowed. Details to be announced.
Gardner has spent $50,000 on third party grants with a return of $25,000,000. SEE SEPARATE ARTICLE.
Conversion to underground wiring in South Gardner approximately 5 years away. Not at the top of the list right now due to the price tag.
More on Waterford from Mayor Nicholson: “If you remember a couple months ago, in the February time frame, the city council voted to request that the state, through the state legislature, vote to authorize a change of use in the land, because the land that Waterford Street School was originally built on was originally purchased for the purpose of building a playground. And then shortly after that, in the 1950s, the legislature voted to allow the city to build a school on that land, but because the legislature voted at that time to allow that a building be built on that site for school purposes, we had to change that, because there’s no longer going to be a school at that point, as is evident, because we have the new Garden Elementary School. So now the law just says it can be used for general municipal purposes, so any way the city seems fit to be in the best interest of the city. That was signed into law by Governor Healey last week, and the city council, at their August 5th meeting, will be taking up a measure to formally declare the building surplus so that we can finally get the space leased out and our new community center launched off the ground.”