Upton Town Hall Building Committee Puts Memorial School Plan On Hold

UPTON, Mass. – A plan to use classrooms at Memorial School as a temporary town hall is on hold, Town Hall Building Committee Chairperson Kelly A. McElreath told the Board of Selectmen at a meeting on Tuesday.

Instead, the committee is looking at other options including renting the vacant Holy Angels Church located across the street from Town Hall on Main Street.

Voters will be asked to approve a $6 million town hall renovation plan at the May 9 annual town meeting. If approved, however, town hall employees will have to be relocated for about 14 months.

The most cost effective proposal was to use five classrooms at Memorial School, blocking access to those classrooms from students by building a wall.

Several parents expressed concern with that plan at a meeting of the Mendon-Upton School Committee last week.

McElreath said Holy Angels Church initially rejected renting space to the town for a year, but recently agreed to talk.  The Town Hall Building Committee is looking at the church space Wednesday morning, she said.

Renting trailers is also being considered. The three trailers that would be needed could be placed at a playground not far from the church or on the lawn of the Fire Department on Church Street, McElreath said.

The Town Hall project is scheduled to go out to bid at the end of this month, Town Manager Blythe C. Robinson said.

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