By Carol Britton Meyer

Now that the schools have been consolidated into two buildings, plans are under way to move town offices to the Memorial School building next year.

The view from inside the MMS clock tower and cupola.jpg

The cleaned corner block back in place. A lift of nearly a ton.jpg

Reinforcement to ensure the portico stays in place another 75 years.jpg

TIMELY REPAIRS. The work on the front portico of the Memorial School is nearly complete; it involved shoring up the 75-year-old stonework and repairs to the clock. [Photos courtesy of the Hull Public Schools]

The town has a license agreement with the school committee to occupy the first and second floors of the former Memorial Middle School for the next 30 years for town government and community uses, according to Town Manager Jennifer Constable. The South Shore Educational Collaborative also is based there. The school committee maintains control of the building.

“The town will be coordinating with the school department as it makes plans to transition the town hall offices and staff,” Constable told The Hull Times this week. The relocation will take place in 2025.

However, there are currently no definitive plans to relocate the Anne M. Scully Senior Center, now at 197A Samoset Avenue.

“To date, decisions have not been made beyond the relocation of town hall,” she said. “The town recognizes the need and desire for additional community space throughout town and will work to ensure a community conversation ensues to explore all potential options. The town is sensitive to the fact that this is a big change for the community and will ensure a comprehensive and inclusive discussion around additional uses of the space at Memorial School.”

The town will be working with incoming town counsel to create a request for proposals to secure an owner’s project manager to oversee the relocation of town hall, as well as the retrofit of Memorial School to accommodate the new town office spaces and oversee the closure of the current town hall, according to Constable.

“The process will also include staff and [public] discussions to further assess the needs of the community and suitability of available space at [Memorial], including all costs,” Constable said.

Voters at this year’s town meeting approved spending up to $3.6 million on repairs and improvements to Memorial School related to the relocation of Hull’s municipal offices to that site as part of the school consolidation plan.

The current deteriorating town hall building and its systems are in need of extensive rehabilitation and are becoming unsuitable for current operations.

Relocation to the Memorial School will provide office and community space for town hall staff and residents who visit the building, as well as create an opportunity for much-needed community programming and meeting space.

“The funds approved at town meeting will cover, in part, all relocation of town hall offices –including the retrofit of Memorial School – outfitting the offices, signage, closure of the current town hall building, and relocation of the Hull TV studios,” Constable said.

Superintendent of Schools Michael Jette told The Hull Times that the front entrance portico repairs are in the final stages and scheduled for completion by the beginning of November, and that he is supportive of the plan to move the town hall offices there.

“The town hall is a quaint building with a lot of character, but it’s undersized,” he said. “Recreating that [operation] with more elbow room available and in the center of town where it will be more accessible to all residents is a good [move].”

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