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FORMER WOONSOCKET SENIOR-JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL PLACED ON THE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES

Posted on: December 18, 2017 - 12:58pm

December 15, 2017

Contact:            N. David Bouley, Director of Planning

                           767-9231     767-9205

FORMER WOONSOCKET SENIOR-JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL PLACED ON THE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES

Woonsocket, RI:  In April 2016, the City of Woonsocket solicited proposals from qualified firms for the development of an application to the National Park Service for the placement of the former Woonsocket Senior-Junior High School at 357 Park Place on the National Register for Historic Places.  This RFP received responses on May 12, 2016.  After consultation with the City Council, the City awarded the contract to the Public Archaeology Laboratory of Pawtucket, Rhode Island for $9271.00 for the development of such a plan. 

It was stressed by the Administration at that time that the development of a National Register plan was a long-range project that needed to be considered as part of an overall plan for development of the facility, which was closed some six years before.

“N. David Bouley, Director of Planning, used his vision for the City and ‘planning’ talent to look ahead and see what would be beneficial to the City,” noted Mayor Baldelli-Hunt.  It was pointed out that it was necessary to begin this process in earnest at this early date, even though proposals were still being solicited for the actual redevelopment of the facility, as the award of National Register status was necessary for any serious redeveloper to secure National Historic Tax Credits for the redevelopment project. 

Despite arguments that the City should not be paying for this project and that it should be the responsibility of the developer, it was concluded that to wait for a developer to be on board would hinder the overall progress of the project in that it would add considerable time to the project development.  This approach was supported by the majority of the City Council, with the exception of Councilors Albert G. Brien and Roger Jalette.

The Mayor said, “as a result of the foresight and action of N. David Bouley to move forward with the National Register nomination, the City was advised on Thursday, November 9, 2017, that after an arduously long process which began in August of 2016, the Former Woonsocket High & Junior High School building has finally been placed on the National Register of Historic Places by the National Park Service of the U.S. Department of the Interior.”  As a result, the placement of the building on the National Register will allow a redeveloper of the project to secure National Historic Tax Credits and state tax credits, which will allow this project to move forward.