The building was donated to the board in December 1995 by Fleet Bank and has been unoccupied since then. Mr. Wilson was elected chairman in January. In addition, the occupants of 305 Essex St. need to have an established framework to handle common expenses and repairs when necessary, he said. A lot was done without having a lot of hard facts. There's no such thing as a free lunch.
Buildings cost money to maintain.
He said the board needs to determine operating costs and divide the burden fairly among the tenants, which include Northern Essex Community College, the Greater Lawrence Community Action Council and the Lawrence Learning Center, an adult education group under the Lawrence School Department. Mayor Patricia A. Dowling said the city and the Community Action Council are each considering becoming the building administrator and owner but stressed the issue was still in the discussion process. And before any commitment, she said she wanted the building inspected by a structural engineer.