Briscoe Village for Living & the Arts

Briscoe Village LLC was the successful bidder in the request for proposal (RFP) for the sale of the former Briscoe School building at 7 Sohier Road (an 8.42-acre lot). The partnership currently has a purchase and sale agreement for the property with the City and is seeking permits to allow the residential reuse of the school. This includes a Special Permit issued by the City Council to authorize the reuse of a public building pursuant to Section 300-58 of the Zoning Ordinance and an Inclusionary Housing Permit issued by the Planning Board pursuant to Section 300-104A of the Zoning Ordinance, as well as advisory review of the Site Plan (Section 300-58E) to City Council.

Project Description

The project entails preservation and rehabilitation of the school building and associated site improvements on 4.89 acres of the site. The proposal includes 91 residential units (85 restricted to low- and moderate-income seniors and 6 live/work units), an approximately 500-seat theater (rehabilitating the existing auditorium), parking for 234 vehicles, and associated site work. The site work includes completing the street edge and establishing an organized parking lot and access layout, restoring the turf bowl, as well as other landscaping treatments.

The City will retain the turf bowl and the 2-acre playing fields in the rear of the site. The proposed plan is consistent with the priorities in the Request for Proposal (RFP) issued by the City in 2019, including preservation of the building and the auditorium and creation of senior housing. The proponent created a website specifically for the project.