West Hartford Officials Begin Process To Buy St. Brigid School

WEST HARTFORD, — The process for the town of West Hartford to acquire the campus of the former St. Brigid School has begun.

The 8.5-acre campus is located in the Elmwood section of West Hartford adjacent to Beachland Park.

Town officials said the property had "significant strategic value to the Town," adding it has "potential to serve a number of public uses, including as the site of a new community and cultural center."

The Town Council voted Tuesday to authorize Town Manager Matt Hart to execute a contract for the purchase of the property from the Saint Gianna Parish.

"This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to acquire an important property located in the heart of Elmwood immediately adjacent to one of our premier public parks," West Hartford Mayor Shari Cantor said. "There are many exciting things that we could do with this property to serve residents of all ages for decades to come."

Cantor also thanked the Saint Gianna Parish for negotiating a direct sale with West Hartford.

"We are very appreciative of the parish's support for the surrounding community and for recognizing the property would be put to the best use by the Town."

The purchase price for the property is $3 million, including a $50,000 deposit.

The town will have 90 days to complete its remaining due diligence paperwork.

"We have been interested in this site for several years given its proximity to Beachland Park," Hart said. "The existing Elmwood Community Center does not meet desired standards for programming purposes, particularly for youth programming. The former St. Brigid School location offers the possibility of a new Elmwood campus combining a number of uses, allowing us to repurpose the existing Community Center for redevelopment and grand list growth."

The purchase will be reviewed the Plan and Zoning Commission and the town Ccouncil will make a final decision on the purchase of the property after receiving a report back from the commission.

If the Town Council ultimately approves the property acquisition, the town will conduct an extensive community engagement process to develop a program and concept plans for the new facility.