Higgins Museum Prepares For Sale
The Higgins Armory Museum in Worcester.
Less than two months until it closes, the 83-year-old Higgins Armory Museum has begun the process to sell its historic Worcester building and surrounding property.
The Higgins is turning to an advisory committee comprised of real estate, urban planning and historic architecture experts to solicit proposals and select one that “balances the future use of the building with purchase price and cost and time considerations,” according to a statement from Higgins released this morning.
“This is not a typical commercial real estate sale,” says Suzanne Maas, the interim director at Higgins. “Given the unique history and design of the building, the impending integration with the Worcester Art Museum, and our desire to be transparent, we have undertaken extensive due diligence in preparing for this endeavor.”
The Higgins’ collection of about 2,000 pieces of arms and armor – much of it from the Medieval era – will be transferred about a mile away to the art museum.
The museum will host a public forum in its auditorium at 4 p.m. Nov. 20 to allow members of the community to provide thoughts regarding the building and the process by which it will be sold. “This input will be considered as the advisory committee shapes the request for proposal, which will serve as the framework against which all proposals must be submitted.”
The statement from the museum said the public forum will focus exclusively on the building, and won’t consider other issues related to the museum’s closing.
Beginning early next year, the museum will work with a Realtor to solicit proposals for the 42,000-square-foot structure and some 4.75 acres of land.
“This building has been a piece of the community for generations,” said James C. Donnelly Jr., a long-time trustee and president of Higgins since 2009. “We feel strongly that members of the community should be given an opportunity to voice their thoughts and concerns about its future.”
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