Project Information

Bid Title

RFP 11 Gleason Court

Issuing Agency

Town of Douglas

Location

Massachusetts

Published Date

May 5, 2026

Closing Date

Jun 16, 2026

Government Level

State & Local

Status

Closed

Original Source

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Bid Documents

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Project Description

Bid Title:	RFP 11 Gleason Court
Category:	Town Bids
Status:	Open

Description: The Town of Douglas, MA invites proposals for the purchase of a retired school building and associated real estate at 11 Gleason Court, also known as assessor's lot 163-110 in a Village Business zoning district. The sale will be in accordance with the terms and conditions of a request for proposals that may be found at www.douglas-ma.gov or obtained from the Board of Selectmen's office located at 29 Depot Street, Douglas, MA 01516. Proposals are due no later than 6:00PM on Tuesday, June 16, 2026 in the Selectmen's office. The appraised value of the property is $390,000. While the building is not subject to any formal historic preservation requirements, the Selectmen will require restoration or preservation of exterior historic features as part of any proposal. The Town of Douglas is an equal opportunity employer and service provider. Publication Date/Time: 5/5/2026 12:00 AM Closing Date/Time: 6/16/2026 6:00 PM Contact Person: Matthew J. Wojcik, Town Administrator mwojcik@douglas-ma.gov Miscellaneous: The Town of Douglas will hold a pre-proposal meeting with prospective respondents to answer questions on the contents of this proposal on Tuesday, June 2, 2026, at 10:00 AM at the site, 11 Gleason Court, Douglas, MA. Questions will not be answered on the telephone. Related Documents: RFP 11 Gleason Court

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REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

FORMER GRAMMAR SCHOOL

11 Gleason Court

Douglas, MA 01516

SALE OF TOWN-OWNED REAL ESTATE

REQUEST ISSUED: May 5, 2026

RESPONSES DUE: 6:00 PM, June 16, 2026

TOWN OF DOUGLAS

29 DEPOT STREET

DOUGLAS, MA 01516

(508) 476-4000

I. GENERAL DESCRIPTION

The Town of Douglas (the "Town"), acting by and through its Town Administrator and

Board of Selectmen, is offering to sell a Town-owned building known as the former

Grammar School located at 11 Gleason Court Douglas, MA 01516 on land known as

Lot 163-110. The Town is seeking a qualified applicant to purchase the building and

land associated therewith as described in this Request for Proposals (RFP). The

building must be preserved and redeveloped for modern use as a condition of sale.

II. GENERAL INFORMATION REGARDING THE PROPERTY

The restricted appraisal report, attached hereto as Exhibit A, provides a great deal of

location, background and dimensional information on this property. The following

documents are available upon request from the Board of Selectmen’s office:

1. Property Record Card;

2. ANR Plan dated December 11, 2024 found at Book 981, Page 53 in the

Worcester Registry of Deeds;

3. Building floor plans;

4. Hazardous substances testing results and reports;

The property to be sold is located at 11 Gleason Court, at the location commonly

known as the former Grammar School, (hereinafter the “Site”). The building was

constructed in 1898. It is three (3) stories in height. The Town will convey an area of

land, including the building, of approximately 1.24 acres. The building has a gross

area of 20,664 +/- square feet, with approximately 10,312 square feet of finished

space on the first two floors, and unfinished basement and attic areas. There are

front and rear parking areas. Access to the Site is provided via Gleason Court.

The property consists of the building, its parking lot, an access driveway, and grass

and landscaped buffer. The property is located within Douglas’s busiest commercial

area. It has the Douglas Primary, Elementary, and Middle Schools at its rear, single

family homes on one side, town owned open space on the other side, and the United

States Post Office / Douglas Adult Social Center at its front facing Main Street.

The building was used until the late 1970s as a public education facility. The building

is not ADA compliant and needs interior and exterior upgrades and improvements.

The building has not been occupied for several decades. The successful

Respondent will be required to file for and obtain approval from the Douglas Planning

Board and Conservation Commission for development on the Site.

Interior:

The basement contains the boiler room (steam heat), centralized lavatories, storage

and what may have been one classroom. The first and second floors each contain

four classrooms of approximately 832 square feet, a very wide corridor and stairs to

the respective other floors. Access to the attic is via a wall mounted vertical ladder

and ceiling hatch.

Typical interior partitions appear to be load bearing wood framing. There is no fire

protection in the building. All existing plumbing fixtures and trim is antiquated and

require replacement. All water, waste, and vent systems are antiquated and require

replacement in their entirety. The boiler was removed and there is no hot water

heater. The electrical system is minimal and will need to be upgraded with modern

materials.

In connection with an attempt to sell this building in the late 1990s and early 2000s,

the Town retained the services of an architect and several subcontractors to assess

the structure for the presence of various hazardous substances. By way of summary,

the report noted the presence of asbestos, unacceptable amounts of bird droppings,

possible hazardous materials in light ballasts, and minimal to no lead paint detected

in the interior of the building.

The Town made extensive efforts to address the issues noted in the report. The bird

droppings were fully remediated. A new roof was installed, and all entry points were

closed to wildlife. Windows and doors were boarded. All light fixtures were removed.

The 1999 report on building materials tested for asbestos was very thorough. From

its records of contracts and payments made in 2002-2003, the Town believes all

materials containing asbestos have been removed and properly disposed of.

The Town inspects the building on a quarterly basis and these conditions have not

changed.

Exterior:

Exterior wall construction is un-reinforced brick masonry with what was once double

hung operable windows. All window sashes have been removed and boarded up

with plywood. In general, the exterior brick walls are in good condition. Some

repointing may be necessary at the lower extent of the walls. The current roof

material is asphalt shingles and is about 22 years old.

Lead was documented in the green paint on exterior cosmetic trim and the main

porches of the building, located on the front and rear of the building. Both porches

have been removed. Green paint is still visible on the trim.

III. GENERAL TERMS FOR PROPOSALS TO PURCHASE

A. The Town believes it has disclosed all building conditions to the extent of its

knowledge from observation and its records. The building will be sold in its

“as-is” condition. Due diligence is the sole responsibility of the purchaser.

Access to records and the building will be granted upon request at reasonable

times set by appointment.

B. Nothing herein is intended to exclude any responsible Respondent or in any

way restrain competition. The Town encourages participation by Minority and

Women Owned Business Enterprises (M/WBE).

C. The following meanings are attached to the defined words then used in this

RFP.

1. “Town”: means the Town of Douglas.

2. “Minimum and Mandatory Evaluation Criteria”: means the criteria for

determining whether the proposal is responsible and responsive.

3. “Comparative Evaluation Criteria”: means the criteria for determining

whether the purposed use of the site is in the best interest of the Town.

4. “Front” means the building side with the current main entrance to the

structure, which faces a parking area to the north.

5. “Back” is the building side opposite the main entrance, where there is

currently a second means of egress, facing the wooded area to the

south of the building.

D. All materials submitted by a Respondent become the property of the Town.

The Town is under no obligation to return any of the material submitted by a

Respondent.

E. The selected Respondent shall execute a Purchase Agreement with the Town

within 30 days from the Respondent’s receipt of the Town Administrator’s

Notice of Award. The Purchase Agreement will contain provisions, amongst

others, that set forth timelines for commencement of development work as

well as for filing of application(s) for necessary permit(s). The purchase of

this property shall be subject to any easements existing and required for

street, sewer, and water, or any other public purposes abutting and within

said property and any other encumbrance of record. The Respondent shall

thereafter tender any payments due the Town upon execution of the

purchase. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Town, in its sole discretion,

reserves the right to extend time for execution of the Purchase Agreement for

extenuating circumstances.

F. It is understood and agreed that it shall be a material breach of any contract

resulting from this RFP for the Respondent to engage in any practice which

shall violate any provision of Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 151B,

relative to discrimination in hiring, discharge, compensation, or terms,

conditions, or privileges of employment because of race, color, religious

creed, national origin, sex, age or ancestry.

G. The Purchase Agreement referred to in Section III Paragraph (D) above, shall

be drafted by Douglas’s Town Counsel in compliance with the terms of this

RFP, and shall incorporate the terms of this RFP and of the proposal

selected. At minimum, it is expected that the Purchase Agreement will

contain the following terms and conditions:

1. Closing date, time, and final price.

2. All upgrades to the facility necessary to facilitate and support the

proposed use shall be Respondent’s responsibility.

3. After closing, all maintenance, upkeep and repair of the building and

immediate grounds shall be Respondent’s responsibility.

4. Upgrades to the facility per applicable local, state and federal codes

and ADA standards shall be the Respondent’s responsibility.

5. Respondent shall bind insurance coverage to the building effective

upon closing.

6. Respondent shall be responsible for obtaining all local and state

approvals, permits and licenses.

7. Respondent shall be responsible for the payment of all utilities after

closing.

H. Acknowledgement of, and contractual obligations to comply with, the following

conditions of sale:

1. There shall be no additions made to the building. Exterior amenities,

such as, but not limited to, landscaped areas, parking shelters,

restoration of covered entries and stairways, are encouraged.

2. The exterior of the building will not be altered from its historical

appearance unless otherwise provided. Window and door openings

will remain the same size as the original. Trim materials, windows and

doors may be replaced but shall replicate existing. Chimneys shall not

be removed and shall be maintained, but do not need to be functioning

/ operating.

3. Exterior color choices are not restricted in any way. Windows and

doors may be made of any material and do not have to maintain

historical mechanical / physical operation. Replacement windows may

be used provided they are consistent with condition (1) above.

4. Building changes will be made in consultation with the Douglas

Historical Commission. While the Commission has no formal

jurisdiction, the Town will require as a condition of sale that the

Commission have a role in the consideration of plans.

I. The proposed project must be completed within twenty four (24) months of

the notice of award, a time hereinafter called the “completion date”. The

parties may extend this date by mutual agreement.

1. “Completed” for purposes of this provision shall mean the date on

which the Building Inspector issues a final Certificate of Occupancy for

the property, or in the case where multiple Certificates of Occupancy

are required the issuance of the last final Certificate of Occupancy of

Commodity Codes

• NAICS 561492Court Reporting and Stenotype Services

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