Clark University buys former Diamond Chevrolet site for $7M, in expansion across Park Avenue

Photo | Google Earth Clark University's acquisition of a 7-acre vacant lot is its first expansion across Park Avenue.

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By Katherine Hamilton

Clark University purchased a 7-acre vacant car dealership on Park Avenue in Worcester for $6.95 million in a deal closed Friday, according to the Worcester County South Registry of Deeds.

The Worcester school sent out a message to the Clark community on Monday morning, saying a plan for the site is forthcoming.

“While we have not yet determined a specific plan for the property, we are considering a range of options that could include a new recreation and athletics facility, a modernized health services center (that brings together Counseling and Personal Growth and wellness programs), academic space, and student housing,” said the message, which was signed by President David Fithian.

The development will mark the school’s first move across Park Avenue, similar to its move across Main Street when it developed the Shaich Family Alumni and Student Engagement Center in 2016.

“We will cross Park Avenue to establish a signature presence and we will do so with a typically [sic] Clark spirit of care and collaboration,” the letter said.

Clark is working with Ayers Saint Gross, a Baltimore-based architect which specializes in designing for colleges, to create a Campus Design Initiative. The partnership began in early 2021, per the announcement.

The university said it is also planning to facilitate community dialogue before arriving at a final decision about the site’s use, the message said.

Located at 111 Maywood St. and 520 Park Ave., the two-parcel property has been vacant since 2010 when Diamond Chevrolet moved its dealership to Auburn.

Both parcels are owned by Pamela and David Massad II, and Christine Mandara, the three children of David “Duddie” Massad, who owned Diamond Chevrolet and Commerce Bank, according to Duddie’s obituary from 2018.

The City of Worcester assesses the total property at about $2.9 million.