The Lynn Armory is up for sale by the state. Item Photo by Owen O’Rourke
By Thomas Grillo
LYNN — The state offered to sell the 123-year-old Lynn Armory to the city, but the mayor said no thanks.
In a letter to Mayor Judith Flanagan Kennedy, the Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance (DCAMM), the agency that handles the state’s real estate, gave the city the right of first refusal on the three-story, brick landmark.
But the mayor, through a spokeswoman, said between the paying market rate for the building, as DCAMM requires, and the renovation, it would be too costly for the city to take on.
As a result, the state will auction the property on South Common Street. It is assessed at $1.7 million, according to city records.
James Cowdell, executive director of the Lynn Economic Development & Industrial Corp., said if the city could have purchased the property at the right price, it’s possible the Lynn Housing Authority & Neighborhood Development, whose mission is to assist low- and moderate-income families with safe and affordable housing, would convert it to housing.
The armory is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and included in the Lynn Common Historic District.
For now, the 37,602-square-foot Romanesque Revival style building is used by the Registry of Motor Vehicles to meet license applicants for their drivers’ test.
The Legislature has determined the state’s armories are no longer viable and should be sold. If Lynn decides not to purchase it, the building will be sold to the highest bidder at auction.
Thomas Grillo can be reached at [email protected].
