Fall River Council Urges Feasibility Study for Bank Street Armory If Buyer Withdraws

FALL RIVER -- December 3, 2024, Fall River City Council votes to seek Bank Street Armory feasibility study if unnamed buyer walks away. The council unanimously adopted a resolution Tuesday directing the administration to explore a feasibility study for the historic armory's highest and best use if a nonprofit organization currently evaluating the property does not proceed, a decision City Administrator Seth Akin said could come within "a couple of weeks." Akin told the Committee on Finance that the unnamed group, which has asked not to be identified, has toured the site twice and hired an architect, but its preliminary cost estimates reflect Boston and New York pricing that Mayor Paul Coogan wants to benchmark against local contractors. Historical Commission Chair Jason Bouchard Naraki reported Fall River last month became the 31st Certified Local Government in Massachusetts, opening new grant pathways; a feasibility study for the armory was informally estimated at $50,000 to $60,000. Separately, the council confirmed Nicholas Silva as Chief of Emergency Medical Services and accepted a $70,000 donation from the Josephine M. Turner Trust for Oak Grove Cemetery maintenance.