Council Approves Reuse of Cogswell School by Chamber Arts Group

A major hurdle is cleared in plans to turn an historic former Haverhill public school building in Bradford into a community art center.

Haverhill city councilors Tuesday night unanimously approved plans by the city to declare the vacant Cogswell School building as surplus and lease it to the Greater Haverhill Chamber of Commerce Community Arts and Education Foundation.

An amended “option to purchase” gives the group chances to purchase the Cogswell building for $160,000 in the first year plus any documented improvements based on a current appraisal. Increments of $5,000 plus documented improvements would come in the second and third years respectively. Also, the city has a right of first refusal if the property is purchased and the group sells it within five years.

Jaime DeSimone spoke on behalf of the Cogswell Art Center Initiative. She said moving the art center plans forward creates an opportunity for the city.

“We have an opportunity to preserve a building. An opportunity to create an institution that is the steward of the cultural community, who fosters art and creation, sees the value in arts education, and who connects everyday people with art; an opportunity to enhance the cultural fabric of everyone in Haverhill, and lastly an opportunity for social and economic impact driven by the arts,” DeSimone said.

An amended “option to purchase” gives the group chances to purchase the Cogswell building based on a current building appraisal, including any physical improvements. Original lease terms indicated a $160,000 purchase price during the first year of the lease and increments of $5,000 in the second and third years respectively. Also, the city has a right of first refusal if the property is purchased and the group sells it within five years.

As reported last June by WHAV, the Greater Haverhill Community Arts and Education Foundation formally announced the award of a grant of $9,000 from the MassDevelopment, the Massachusetts Cultural Council’s partner in the administration of the Massachusetts Cultural Facilities Fund (CFF). This grant was awarded through the MCC’s Cultural Facilities Fund Program to support the feasibility of acquiring and renovating Cogswell School into a community art center.

The Cogswell Art Center Initiative is the brainchild of Jaime DeSimone, Danielle Smida, Tina Fuller and Leota Spero Sarrette, who submitted the grant application on behalf of the Arts and Education Foundation. They donated their time to implement a feasibility study.

“An art center at Cogswell School would benefit the entire Haverhill community by providing a program of multidisciplinary arts educational courses, dynamic exhibitions, and annual artist-in-residence projects,” DeSimone said.