Correction: The basement area used by the Lincoln Historical Society are 2 back rooms, next to boilers and are only storage areas. This space is not suitable for any other use. The same is true for the space used by Lincoln Minute Men. I believe the Library Book Sale is no longer in Bemis, in any capacity. I am not aware of what space the Lincoln Girl Scouts use…perhaps that should be checked also.
Given the amount of available office space in the Mall area, I am not sure of the demand for rental space buy non-profits or others. It appears there is more space already available than there is demand. It would be nice if we had Community Access Television, but we do not and since the death of Jim Cunningham (our one-man dynamo who did all our Cale and video work), I have nothing or seen nothing on the horizon. I would be very curious to see what organizations are prepared to rent a vacated Bemis and at what fee structure. Such specifics (corrected, as noted above) would help inform discussion at the upcoming Spec. Town Meeting. ------ Sara Mattes > On Nov 27, 2022, at 9:06 PM, Krystal Wood > <[email protected]> wrote: > > Community Center Building Committee- November, 2022 > > What will happen to Bemis Hall if the COA&HS moves out? > > We are happy to provide some information about potential uses of Bemis Hall > in the future. However, please note that determining the use of Bemis Hall > after a community center is built is beyond the scope of the Community Center > Building Committee. > > We anticipate that the upstairs hall will continue to be used for > performances, classes, dances, lectures, meetings, and private functions just > as it is now. In fact, this use can be expanded once the COA&HS no longer > occupies the space during the day, providing opportunities for organizations > to have space for playgroups, classes and lessons, afterschool activities, > meetings, and more (Lincoln-CCPPDC-Report-07-12-18-digital (lincolntown.org) > <http://www.lincolntown.org/DocumentCenter/View/72440/Lincoln-CCPPDC-Report-07-12-18-digital> > – page 21). The Town has received numerous requests in the past to use the > upstairs space during the day for these purposes. > > The basement is currently occupied by the Lincoln Girl Scouts, the Lincoln > Minute Men, the Library Book Sale, and the Lincoln Historical Society. We > expect that these organizations will continue to use the space they now have, > with the possibility of expanding into some of the space that will no longer > be used during the day by the COA&HS. The COA&HS has already received > requests from renters for basement and first floor programming space during > COA&HS hours. > > The space that will be vacated by the COA&HS includes the 450 square foot > program room, and two small offices in the basement, and the first-floor > space. Two ideas for using this for municipal space that have been discussed > include programming space for the Library and space for all the Town’s land > use offices and organizations. > > If space is leftover, Lincoln could follow the lead of other cities and towns > that have buildings much like Bemis Hall and rent it to non-profit > organizations, small professional firms, and others or use it for arts or > other purposes. > > One perfect example of this re-use is Bedford’s Old Town Hall, which is much > like Bemis Hall in terms of size and configuration. It has a large upstairs > hall that is used for exactly the same purposes as the upstairs hall at Bemis > is currently. The downstairs offices and other spaces are used by the Bedford > Center for the Arts and Bedford Community Access Television. It is owned by > the Town of Bedford but managed by a non-profit organization. Other towns > with town halls that are no longer used town halls and are rented out or used > for other purposes in a similar fashion are in Tyngsboro (rentals), Salem > (art exhibits), Athol (Historical Society), Bedford, NH (rentals and > community use), Easthampton (arts, maintained by non-profit), and Andover > (private function rentals). > > -- > The LincolnTalk mailing list. > To post, send mail to [email protected]. > Search the archives at http://lincoln.2330058.n4.nabble.com/. > Browse the archives at https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/private/lincoln/. > Change your subscription settings at > https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/listinfo/lincoln. >
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