Coventry Council OKs auction of former teen center with deed restriction to preserve historic exterior

The Coventry Town Council voted unanimously to authorize the auction of the town's vacant former teen center and to attach a deed restriction preserving the building's historic exterior.

The council approved a resolution authorizing the town manager to contract with Sullivan & Sullivan Auctioneers to conduct a public auction of the property, and amended that resolution to require a deed restriction that preserves “the character of the building, including window opening, shingle siding and the size” to be recorded with the deed and the building official’s file. President Hilary Lima cast the final “yes” on the 5–0 vote.

Why it matters: the building sits on riverfront land in the Anthony Mill Village and has been vacant since February 2019. Town officials said the property is a continuing maintenance and liability burden; selling it would return the parcel to the tax rolls while protecting the structure’s historic outward appearance.

Assistant Town Manager Maria Broadbent told the council the building was constructed around 1918 as the village athletic association and was later used as a teen center. She said the Anthony Athletic Association no longer exists and that the town has discussed conserving the exterior look of the building with the State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO). “It would be a preservation of the size of the windows, the open the window openings, the shape of the building, and the shingled siding,” Broadbent said. She added the preservation requirement would be attached to the deed so future owners cannot alter the exterior envelope without town review.

Auction process and terms: Betty Quinn of Sullivan & Sullivan Auctioneers described the firm’s municipal-auction model and answered questions about marketing, deposits and bid procedures. Quinn said the auction company’s expenses are typically covered by a buyer’s premium (the proposal for this property referenced a 4% buyer’s premium) and that bidders would be required to post a deposit at the sale (Quinn described a common structure of a cashier’s check at the sale and then raising the deposit to 10% of the purchase price within three business days, with closing targeted within 30 days). Quinn said the auctioneer would not finalize a sale without town approval to confirm the bid.

Town staff said the assessor’s roll lists an assessed value of roughly $300,000 for the property, and Broadbent confirmed the town pays ongoing costs to heat, insure, mow and monitor the building. She said the building’s interior is not part of the proposed preservation restriction; the deed language would limit changes to the exterior envelope only.

Council discussion and next steps: Council members asked about structural soundness, historic windows and how to split an L-shaped parcel so a neighboring owner could purchase the riverfront portion without creating awkward lot lines. Broadbent said the town would allow the adjacent owner time to hire a surveyor to split the parcel and that the separate transaction for the riverfront piece would be handled before any final sale is confirmed.

Councilor Pasqua moved the original resolution and later moved the amendment to require a deed restriction; the amendment was seconded by Councilor Capaldi and passed on the council’s roll call. Councilors Brown and Capaldi asked for the solicitor’s review; Solicitor Angel confirmed deed restrictions and MOU/resolution language are appropriate ways to memorialize the preservation requirements.

The council directed staff to prepare the final deed language for solicitor review and to return any required transfer paperwork before the town manager proceeds with contracting and setting an auction date.