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Chicopee Finance Committee authorizes mayor to negotiate purchase of 219 and 225 Exchange Street for school offices
Summary
The Finance Committee unanimously authorized Mayor John Vieau to negotiate terms to buy 219 and 225 Exchange Street to consolidate School Department administrative staff; the committee cited an Aug. 30, 2026 lease expiration at the current Dulong Circle offices and estimated 80'90 employees would use the new space.
The Chicopee Finance Committee on Monday unanimously authorized Mayor John Vieau to negotiate the purchase of 219 and 225 Exchange Street to relocate the School Department's administrative offices, citing an expiring lease and the potential to centralize staff.
Mayor John Vieau told the committee the city is "leasing space on Dulong Circle, and our lease is expiring August 30, 2026. We prefer to own." The committee said one proposal, from Westfield Bank, met the city's needs and the evaluation committee recommended moving the purchase process forward.
School Superintendent Dr. Marcus Ware told members that about 40 staff are currently at the Dulong Circle location and another 40 to 50 are stationed at Fairview School, leaving roughly 80 to 90 employees who would use the Exchange Street location if acquired. Lee Pouliot, the city's director of planning, outlined the committee's five evaluation categories: preferred location (Chicopee Center, Chicopee Falls or Willamansett), land acreage (targeted 1.7'4 acres minimum), existing building size (roughly 17,000'419,000 square feet), accessibility and Mass. Architectural Access Board requirements, and site quality including pavement and parking.
Committee members raised several practical concerns before voting. Councilor Frederick Krampits questioned whether existing ramps meet ADA standards; Councilor Shane Brooks said ramp incline and limited real estate could constrain reconfiguration. John Marecki, schools business manager, said furnishings were not included in the real estate purchase and would need separate consideration. A staff member said the site has 68 parking spaces. The mayor acknowledged an elevator would need to be added if the city proceeds.
After a brief tour of the buildings, Councilor Krampits moved to close public input; the committee approved the motion on a roll-call vote. Councilor Shane Brooks then moved to allow the mayor to negotiate favorable terms and execute any documents necessary to facilitate the purchase; Chairman Frank Laflamme seconded and the motion passed on a unanimous roll-call vote (Laflamme, Krampits, Balakier, Brooks, Labrie voting yes).
Votes at a glance: - Motion to close public input: moved by Councilor Frederick Krampits, seconded by Chairman Frank Laflamme; result: approved, roll-call unanimous (5-0). - Motion to authorize the mayor to negotiate terms for acquisition of 219 and 225 Exchange Street: moved by Councilor Shane Brooks, seconded by Chairman Frank Laflamme; result: approved, roll-call unanimous (5-0). - Motion to approve minutes of April 8, 2025: moved by Councilor Gary Labrie, seconded by Chairman Laflamme; result: approved, roll-call unanimous (5-0). - Motion to adjourn: moved by Councilor Frederick Krampits, seconded by Chairman Laflamme; result: approved, roll-call unanimous (5-0).
Next steps noted by the committee include negotiating purchase terms and updating an existing consultant report to reflect the additional positions to be consolidated; timing for any move will depend on finalization of the purchase and related logistics. The meeting adjourned at 7:33 p.m.
