There's a historic house for sale in the heart of Chelmsford center that will be gone soon, the only question is whether it will find new life elsewhere.
The second round of bidding for the historic Dutton House next to the library is ending in January, following the refusal of two offers by the Selectmen at their last meeting.
There, the Selectmen refused a bid from Richard McClure for $1 due to discrepancies noted by Town Counsel and a bid for $5,000 by William Harvey was denied due to contingencies in the agreement.
The home, built in 1896, is scheduled for demolition if nothing is done by the Fall 2014 following a decision by the Library Trustees, who own the property underneath the house (the house itself is owned by the Selectmen).
Currently the house is used by the Trustees for storage, but sparingly. They desire to use the property for added parking and a smaller storage shed.
Under the bidding process, the home would not necessarily go to the highest bidder, with the Selectmen saying criteria such giving preference to relatives of the Dutton family and the ability to keep the house within Chelmsford impacting their vote.
If a second request for bids cannot find someone willing to value the property at more than $5,000; the town can negotiate directly with an interested buyer without a bidding process.
How much would you pay for the Dutton House? Tell us in the comments.
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