The deadline to open bids from potential developers to redevelop the King Phillip Mill Complex on Kilburn Street in Fall River had been scheduled for last Monday; however, that date has been moved as the Correia administration tries to sort out whether the property will maintain its status as a historic property.
According to City Administrator Cathy Ann Viveiros, “In question is the status of the historic tax credits. In speaking with the Massachusetts Historical Commission they advised that because a portion of the property is being demolished it may require that the entire complex be removed from the national register.”
The administration is waiting on a determination from the state historical commission whether the plans to demolish a portion of the mill complex – which is considered a massive safety issue since the mill was ravaged by fire three years ago – would mean the entire complex will be removed from the National Register of Historic Places.
State Representative Alan Silvia, in his role as the President of the Southend Neighborhood Association where the mill is located, wants to redevelop the property into a multi-use entity. He has been pushing for this idea to go through since shortly after the fire destroyed and forced the closure of the complex.
The issue came about when prospective developers contacted the Fall River Office of Economic Development to check on whether they would be eligible to apply for state and federal historical tax credits.
“We originally felt that if the city did the demolition and an actual developer was not, but was restoring the remaining property that it would address that problem,” Viveiros said.
It was after the administration made an inquiry to the historical commission that they discovered that may not be the case.
The city Purchasing Department provided documentation that identifies 10 developers who took out RFP paper work. Those companies now have until Dec. 15 to submit technical proposals outlining plans to develop the 750,000-square-foot complex. The minimum bid price for the property, that the city gained possession through tax title in 2014, is $750,000. Viveiros said outstanding taxes and fees owed by the property’s former owner is approximately $600,000
“The whole objective is to get it back on the tax rolls and to get it developed,” Viveiros said.
Viveiros said she anticipated that the historical commission will determine the mill complex status before the new bid deadline to give proper notification to the prospective developers.
The administration is moving ahead with a RFP for demolition on all the buildings except one mill building located on Kilburn Street and the smokestack.
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