City Council Gives Green Light to Full CPA Slate

FRAMINGHAM - The Framingham City Council unanimously approved the entire slate of projects that were recommended for Community Preservation Act (CPA) funding during their meeting at the Memorial Building on Tuesday, April 30.

The Community Preservation Committee (CPC) previously recommended 13 projects for the 2024 fiscal year to receive a total of $3,023,250 via the CPA. Those proposals, which can be found by clicking here, include $210,000 for community housing, roughly $1.3 million for recreational and open space purposes, and close to $1.5 million for historic preservation.

The City Council’s Finance Subcommittee approved 12 of the 13 plans in mid-April, with the lone exception being the first phase of the preservation of Athenaeum Hall on Concord Street along with the adjacent firehouse. The pitch was to use $500,000 from the CPA, alongside $1 million in PUD money set aside for the city-owned building roughly 10 years ago, to renovate the exterior of the Athenaeum—which hasn’t been used by the public in nearly three decades.

The four-member Finance Subcommittee split their vote evenly on the matter during their April 16 meeting. At-Large City Councilor and Finance Subcommittee Chair George King was joined by Vice Chair Michael Cannon of District 4 in balking at the plan at the time, as they raised desires to have a long-term plan for the Athenaeum solidified before pumping money into the hall. District 5 City Councilor Noval Alexander and Leora Mallach of District 7, meanwhile, voted to approve the grant in order to get m on a renovation project.

During the full City Council meeting on Tuesday, though, the entire 11-member group voted in favor of the Athenaeum allocation.

“I’m big on historic preservation and reuse,” City Councilor for District 1 Christine Long said during the meeting.

“I just think this is long overdue, along with some other projects on this list—this building, the Memorial Building.”

Cannon reiterated his desire to pass the Athenaeum measure, adding that this should be seen as the step to finally get a plan in order for the hall.

“There’s been so many starts and so many stops…I’m hopeful with everything that’s in the works that this won’t be it,” Cannon continued.

“The concerns that we had at the finance committee [sic] meeting—not speaking for anybody but myself—were really: is this enough, is this the right amount of money, and what’s going to come from this?”

Most members of the public who commented during Tuesday’s meeting were in favor of the building’s restoration, though concerns regarding a lack of parking for the renovated Athenaeum as well as the current state of the structure potentially being a hazard to the community due to possible asbestos and lead pain present within the dormant hall were also mentioned.

The remaining 12 projects recommended by the CPC were unanimously approved by the City Council on Tuesday following minimal discussion.