Council approves $200,000 in CPC funds for Firehouse elevator replacement with preservation condition

Newburyport — The City Council approved order 802 to provide $200,000 in Community Preservation Committee (CPC) funds toward replacing the aging elevator at the Firehouse Center for the Arts.

Project and funding: Committee testimony described the elevator as beyond its useful life (approximately 30 years old where a typical lifespan is 15–20 years). The total replacement project was described as roughly $464,000. Committee materials indicated funding would include approximately $200,000 from CPC, a $200,000 donation from the Arkelian Foundation, and roughly $66,000 raised by the nonprofit operating the facility.

Committee recommendation and condition: Budget & Finance recommended the funding 3‑0 with a condition: parties must continue in good faith to complete a preservation restriction (PR) required under the historic CPA category. Committee members explained that if the preservation restriction is not recorded before 2026 the city may seek a return of funds. The planning director circulated the lease and related documents to the council prior to the vote; councilors discussed that the building is city‑owned but leased to a nonprofit and that the PR requirement is established practice for historic-category CPA awards.

Vote and next steps: The council approved order 802 on voice vote following committee recommendation. Staff and committee chairs said work could begin soon; the committee noted the project is expected to take about 13 weeks and that contractors and vendors have been identified. The council directed staff to continue coordinating the preservation-restriction recording and to return with confirmation of the recorded PR as required by the award condition.