Final Davis-Thayer Committee Meeting Hears from Dean-Camford Combination

At what was slated to be the last meeting of the Davis Thayer Reuse Committee, the agenda promised presentations from four submitters:

7:00 to 7:20 - Dean College

b. 7:20 to 7:40 - Pennrose, LLC

c. 7:40 to 8:00 - HFA and TMC Properties

d. 8:00 to 8:20 - Camford Property Group, Inc.

However, to the surprise of most, Dean offered a proposal that was combined with and closely resembled the prior submission of Camford Property Group. Representing the combination was Camford owner Brad Chaffee, Interim Dean President Mark Boyce, and Dean Senior Vice President, Sandra Kane.

The trio painted a picture of a multi-use space that combines the resources of Franklin and Dean as part of the town’s Arts and Culture District. The proposal, (pictured above), retains the existing building and adds two smaller structure along School and Union Street. Potential uses included additional classroom or performance space for Dean or community groups, and perhaps gallery or studio space. Cain, who grew up in Franklin as did Chaffee said they hit it off right away and saw many ways to combine the capabilities of the two entities to meet their respective needs.

For his part, Boyce shared the back story of how he became involved at Dean. Long-time president Paula Rooney had been his dean at Colgate University when he was an undergraduate. “She was tough as nails then, nothing has changed,” he quipped.

Boyce said his experience at Colgate and later at Dartmouth College impressed him with how closely those colleges worked with their host communities, to the benefit of both. [As a board member]” I often stressed this to Dr. Rooney but I could never convince her,” he explained. Now, through this proposal and other efforts, Boyce said he wants to see Dean and Franklin finally combining in a positive way.

The next two presenters were from Penrose LLC, focusing on adaptive reuse for housing. The representatives stressed their experience with older buildings, their interest in providing housing for a variety of income levels and their experience with similar projects. Karmen Cheung, one of the presenters, explained that Penrose focuses on high quality multifamily housing not only as developers, but also as owners and operators.

The final presentation was made by representatives of HFA, a local architectural firm partnering with TMC. They spoke about that group’s mixed-use adaptive concepts, one of which included a high-end restaurant at the front of the building, providing a welcoming, bright start to the center of town. They also again referenced the idea of a “Speakeasy” themed restaurant or bar, playing off the roaring-twenties era in which the building was constructed.

All the applicants heard questions on engagement and benefits for the community, the desire by some to preserve ball fields and playgrounds, willingness to take a long-term lease on the property from the town, and much more.

As the meeting wound down near the two-hour mark, the committee itself made some minor changes and corrections to its report to the Town Council, its final product, as the Committee itself officially sunsets on June 30.