We are looking for a qualified party to provide a plan for improvement of the property and to operate it for the town and coordinate its widest use and to benefit the citizens of the town.”

Richard Talipsky, the town’s director of business development

PORTSMOUTH — The Town of Portsmouth has issued a request for proposals (RFP) to seek a concessionaire to redevelop and operate the former Coggeshall School at 321 East Main Road.

The building has been vacant since July 1, when the Aquidneck Island Christian Academy closed its doors and ended its lease with the town. Now the town is seeking ideas on how to redevelop the property for future use, whether it be for more classrooms, office space, recreational opportunities or more.

The RFP can be viewed on the town’s website here.

“We are looking for a qualified party to provide a plan for improvement of the property and to operate it for the town and coordinate its widest use and to benefit the citizens of the town,” said Richard Talipsky, the town’s director of business development.

He added, ”With limited town capital improvement funding, we’ll need to find someone that has innovative ways to gain grant funding and, perhaps, use public-private partnerships to defray the cost of needed work on the building.”

The former school has served many purposes since it was first built around 1925. It was expanded in 1965 with an addition to provide more classrooms and an all-purpose gymnasium. 

In October, the town issued a pre-solicitation notice that provided information on the property and a preliminary set of objectives the town hopes to achieve in improving and repurposing the property. A public open house was also hosted on Nov. 9, and more than 30 people attended. 

The RFP objectives include:

• providing funding source for town operation and maintenance of the property.

• use of the property as a multi-use complex that affords opportunities for both public, private or hybrid public/private use. (Although the most current use was for educational activities, other uses, including mixed uses, will be considered).

• compatibility with use of adjacent sports fields. Although the adjacent sports fields are not specifically part of the solicitation, use of the building must be compatible with their use.

• ensuring adequate staffing to maximize use and protection of facilities.

• ensuring safety and convenience for the users of the complex.

• establishing and maintaining a long-term relationship with the town with continued town ownership of the property.

• stabilizing and improving the condition of the property.

• upgrading the facility to fire and building dode status for the most restrictive expected use.

Responses to the RFP are due by 2 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2019. A voluntary bidder’s conference is scheduled for Wednesday, January 9, 2019, at 9 a.m. at Portsmouth Town Hall, 2200 East Main Road, where questions may be asked.  

All inquiries concerning the RFP must be either asked at the bidder’s conference or in writing as specified in the RFP; no informal communications with the town will be permitted. 

All formally submitted comments, questions and answers will be posted on the town’s “Request for Proposals” page at www.portsmouthri.com, where the RFP and other related information is available.