Montague leaders at odds over spending $1M on old building
Shane Ross | CBC News | Posted: April 27, 2016 8:00 PM | Last Updated: April 27, 2016
Town shouldn't be in rental business, councillor says
A proposal by Montague to spend more than $1 million to purchase and renovate an old building is causing some dissension in the town.
Council has voted to purchase the Clark's building on Main Street for $250,000 and invest another $1 million in upgrades.
Andrew Rowe, general manager of the Montague waterfront, said the 15,000-square-foot building has good potential for business development. He said there are interested tenants, but wouldn't disclose who.
"In terms of space and location, it has a view overlooking the waterfront. And there's nothing that compares to it in Montague," he said.
But Jim Bagnall, one of two councillors who voted against the motion, said "the town shouldn't be in the rental business."
"We're buying a building that's going to be empty for a year," he said. "There are no guarantees or letters of intent that I could see to show they have tenants."
Financing would have to be arranged before the sale goes through, Rowe said.
Council still needs to give its final approval, which could come at the next meeting on May 9.
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