Town to decide fate of former Gridley School

By Mike Berger

The Canton Affordable Housing Trust and Canton Select Board are expected to make a decision soon on whether to retain ownership of the former Gridley School building on Washington Street or sell it to a nonprofit developer to convert it into affordable housing units.

The former Gridley School building located on Washington Street

At an informational sessional held via Zoom last Wednesday, January 14, representatives from the Canton Planning Department, LDA Architecture and Hiraeth Community Advisors presented a snapshot of conceptual designs and associated pricing estimates for converting the building to residential use. The designs are part of an ongoing adaptive reuse study commissioned by the town to help attract prospective developers. The study, which also includes an architectural and structural assessment of the building, was made possible by a $50,000 state grant from the Housing Choice program.

Preliminary results indicate that the mid-19th century school building is in better structural shape than previously thought and could be redeveloped into affordable housing if the necessary building improvements are made.

While a previous town report pegged the cost of needed repairs at $2.7 million, the new study estimated costs at between $1.9 and $2 million.

Among the proposed layouts presented at last week’s session was an option to build two two-story townhouses (3 BR and 1 BR), plus a two-bedroom accessible unit to be built adjacent to the main building. Another option calls for two one-story flats (2 BR and 3 BR), along with a one-bedroom detached accessible unit.

If the property is sold to a developer, then the new housing units could be added to the town’s affordable housing stock, which currently stands at 12.12 percent — slightly above the minimum threshold of 10 percent needed to preserve local zoning control under Chapter 40B, the state’s affordable housing law.

Town Planner Connor Murphy said whoever purchased the former school would need to present their redevelopment plans to the Canton Historical Commission (due to a preservation restriction that’s attached to the property) as well as the Planning Board and Zoning Board of Appeals.

Murphy said the January 14 session was for educational and information gathering purposes and stressed that no final determination has been made.

The study team will now refine its report based on comments received in preparation for an upcoming meeting with the Housing Trust and Select Board, tentatively set for late February or early March.

Last used as a preschool in 2013, the Gridley School building dates to 1854 and is named after Colonel Richard Gridley, a prominent former Canton resident who served as the chief engineer of the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War. In 2017, the building was deemed unsafe to occupy and affixed with a large red “X.” In 2018, a taskforce recommended that the building not be torn down but instead be sold with a preservation restriction in place, and a separate town meeting vote that year authorized the Select Board to repair, sell/lease, or find another use for the building.

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