Downtown Gardner property acquired; slated for redevelopment
Gardner Redevelopment Authority
The Gardner Redevelopment Authority has acquired a key property in the city’s downtown urban renewal area.
The Gardner Redevelopment Authority (GRA), in partnership with the city of Gardner, has acquired the former movie theater building at 32 Parker St., the GRA announced Tuesday. This building was damaged by fire in 2007 and had sat abandoned ever since.
“There are major structural concerns with the rear theatre portion of the building, the roof has been open for years and the hole is getting bigger with each passing season, floors are buckling and in some cases have collapsed,” Mayor Mark Hawke said in a statement. “It is truly a health and safety hazard right in the middle of our downtown, which the previous owner failed to address.”
The building had been identified in the Downtown Urban Renewal Plan for acquisition and demolition. Gardner has received Community Development Block Grant funds to demolish the building, with hazardous materials being removed prior to the demolition. If grant funds for the remediation are secured, work could begin late in 2015, according to the GRA.
“The partnership between the City of Gardner and the Redevelopment Authority is critical to making these projects happen. Neither entity has the resources to implement these projects on their own, so combining resources is critical for a results-oriented approach,” Ronald Cormier, Chairman of the GRA, said in a statement. “By eliminating vacant and blighted properties downtown and redeveloping the sites, the city hopes to encourage additional private investment by other downtown property owners.”
Plans for the redevelopment of the site have not been finalized.
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