Lowell Council votes to proceed with demolition of Smith Baker Center after years of debate

The Lowell City Council voted on Jan. 14 to proceed with demolition of the long-vacant Smith Baker Center, a nationally listed historic building, after a lengthy public hearing that included presentations from preservation advocates and engineers.

Councilor Daniel Dakota moved for demolition; the motion passed on a roll-call vote (Councilor Chao: yes; Councilor Dakota: yes; Councilor Gaetzschier: yes; Councilor Jeunesse: yes; Councilor Mercier: no; Councilor Noon: yes; Councilor Robinson: no; Mayor Roark: yes; Councilor Scott: yes; Councilor Yem: abstain; Councilor Belanger: yes). The vote followed more than an hour of public remarks and council debate.

Supporters of preservation, organized as Save Smith Baker/Smith Baker Preservation Corp., urged the council to allow their nonprofit group time to develop a restoration plan and market strategy. Speakers including Carol Kirsten, Brad McGowan, and others described the building as architecturally and culturally significant and said the group would pursue grants, tax credits and private donations to fund restoration and a proposed Southeast Asian refugee museum and community performance/co‑working space.

Opponents and several councilors cited the detailed structural assessment by Gale Associates, which the administration commissioned, and said the report shows widespread deterioration, hidden damage behind decorative finishes and large costs to restore the building to usable condition. Councilor DeCoto and others read sections of the assessment aloud and described estimates ranging from immediate stabilization work up to multi‑million-dollar rehabilitation costs. Concerns included leaking roofs, interior water damage, hazardous materials abatements and unknown structural problems that could emerge if decorative coverings were removed.

Council members who supported demolition said prior RFP efforts in the last decade produced no viable development proposals and that the city is responsible for public safety because falling masonry and unstable portions of the structure have required barriers and restricted use of adjacent sidewalks and parking. Several councilors urged one last packaged RFP as a precondition before demolition, but the majority voted to demolish now, saying the risk to the public and the lack of realistic financing made restoration infeasible.

City staff told the council that the most recent appraisal used to calculate obligations to HUD (the property previously had federal restrictions) was approximately $470,000 and that any sale or transfer process would need to account for HUD's requirement to recover fair market value unless the property remains devoted to affordable housing. Assistant city staff also described prior RFP rounds (most recently years earlier) that produced either no viable respondents or proposals that could not meet the city's timeline or financing conditions.

The council majority said the city will follow required procurement steps for demolition, address HUD obligations as required by federal rules, and proceed with plans for the site after demolition. Preservation advocates said they will continue to pursue funding and explore other options but acknowledged the council vote.

The council also discussed, but did not adopt, a motion from other members to issue a final, time‑limited RFP that would include the Gale report, a minimum purchase or rehabilitation threshold, and potential municipal incentives; some members said they would support that approach if the demolition motion failed.

Why it matters: The Smith Baker debate has split councilors, preservationists and housing advocates for years. The site sits in downtown Lowell's historic district and its disposition affects heritage preservation, downtown development strategy and the city's obligations under prior federal grants.

Looking ahead: The city will publish procurement steps to demolish the structure and will report back to council on the demolition schedule, HUD obligations and planned uses for the cleared parcel. Preservation groups said they will document their plans and seek out funders and partners despite the council vote.