Haverhill Public Schools will soon acquire the city’s former Social Security office free from the federal government and use it for special education programs.
As WHAV reported in March, the Social Security Administration quietly moved its 367 Main St. office to 62 Brown St., leaving the former office vacant. Mayor Melinda E. Barrett told councilors Tuesday night how the transfer came about.
“As is the process, the federal government offers the building to educational or public safety departments in the community…The school department took a look at it and decided that they could use that for a number of different testing and office space for different things.”
The building is accessible, has parking and it’s on a bus route. “It fits a lot of the niches that they are looking for,” the mayor said.
Stephen D. Dorrance, director of facilities for Haverhill Public Schools, said the approximately 5,600 square foot building was designated by the General Services Administration for educational purposes.
“We’re going to offer preschool special ed services which are badly needed in the community,” he said. “We also have a transition program for 18- to 22-year-olds that are needing to opt out of the system and need transition services and just general sped services.”
He said the district’s plan is to provide a “total build out” of the interior of the building. “What’s so great about this opportunity for us is the school department is just packed, we have no available space. Some of the programs I just described are fractured…This will be an opportunity to consolidate those programs so we’ll get better use of the resources, the staff resources and it will be better for the population whom we’re treating as well.”
Councilor Michael S. McGonagle asked about the condition of the building, to which Dorrance responded he was “surprised” at the condition of the space.
“All of the carpeting is new. It’s been recently painted in the last six or seven years. I saw no ceiling tiles that were stained, so it leads me to believe the roof is good. Heating and ventilation plant looked pretty good. It wasn’t running, it was winterized,” he said.
Dorrance noted the schools do not intend to alter the space this year since no money was allocated in the recent budget.
“It’s not the district’s intention in the short term to build it out. We’re required by the application process to provide them with a build out plan,” he said. “They wanted to know we had some use for the property. Within 12 months of the deed transfer, we must have all of the programs operating in the building.”
He added, the schools will be ready within 90 days.
City Council President Thomas J. Sullivan said the district’s acquisition of the building is “great news,” adding. “Who can turn down a free building?”
Councilors unanimously approved the acquisition of the building, ahead of a Sept. 27 deadline to submit the district’s build out plan.