City of Gloucester seeks proposals for 10.6 acre former Fuller School site - developers will have 60 days to respond to RFP

Gloucester, MA The city of Gloucester is moving forward with plans to create new jobs and tax revenues through the redevelopment of the 10.6-acre former Fuller School site. The city issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) from potential bidders, just two weeks after the Gloucester City Council approved the sale of the Fuller School property. That RFP opens the door for Gloucester to reap revenues from the sale of the unused site, and to weigh different options from developers for projects that could bring employment opportunities, new tax dollars and community uses to the site. 

Potential developers will have 60 days to respond to the RFP. Bids will be made public so that the community and elected officials will have the opportunity to weigh in prior to any decision. The city has the right to reject bids if they do not meet requirements. The Fuller School stopped serving as a Gloucester school in 2008.

 “The time is now to move forward with the sale of the Fuller School so we can start creating new jobs, generating new revenues for the city and turning this underused asset into profitable new development,” said mayor Sefatia Romeo Theken. “This is an important time for our city, and it’s come after many months of hard work by city officials and the Council.”

The city’s RFP is for serious development proposals only, and a $25,000 deposit is required with each proposal. The RFP seeks bidders interested in buying the site for a mixed-use development that could include a mix of commercial, industrial and/or community service use benefiting the residents. Any non-profit use for the site must agree to a payment to the city in lieu of taxes, which would be paid by a for-profit use of portions of the site.

“This is perhaps our single best development opportunity in the city,” mayor Romeo Theken said. “The property is set in an ideal location, and we are going to work together to make sure the winning bidder will be a positive presence in Gloucester for years to come.”

For more information or to request a copy of the RFP, please visit: www.gloucester-ma.gov/Bids.aspx?CatID=16.

America’s oldest seaport, the city of Gloucester is known throughout the world as an authentic, working waterfront community, a place of spectacular natural beauty, and home to a diverse population of about 30,000 residents. An important center for the fishing industry, Gloucester also is proud of its vibrant cultural life and rich art heritage as one of the premier art colonies in the United States. In addition, the city is a destination for thousands of visitors who visit the harbor and its beaches during the summertime. In recent years, Gloucester has been actively diversifying its traditional maritime economy, adding leading small research institutions such as the UMass Amherst Large Pelagics Research Center and the Ocean Alliance to the array of local businesses and state and federal agencies working in the city. Recent advancements in Gloucester include new investments in marine robotics and new product development from the fishery.