About NMH Northfield

Northfield Campus Interest Group

Report August 20-22, 2004, NMH Volunteers Weekend

On Sunday, August 22, 2004, at the end of Volunteers Weekend, a meeting titled Northfield Campus Interest Group was held in Olivia Music Hall from 10 am until noon.  More than 80 alumni, parents, and friends joined with President Richard W. Mueller '62 for a comprehensive meeting on the status of the adaptive reuse initiative for the Northfield campus.

The goals of the morning were to:

• fully inform the participants of  the process and on-going work of the initiative;

• tap the creativity of the participants in terms of criteria, possible uses, and potential resources;

• inspire the participants to share what they learn with NMH peers. 

Mueller opened the meeting by describing the deliberate and sure process and organization the school has embarked on: “This is extremely important work and we must get it right.”  Off the top he mentioned that no decisions have been made and that sufficient funds have been budgeted for the next several years to provide security, heat and light, and lawn and landscape maintenance on the campus. The campus will be used fully by the school through the summer of 2005 and parts (some classrooms, music, art, and athletic facilities) will be used for the next few school years.

As president of the school, Mueller is guiding the process. At their May 2004 meeting, the NMH Board of Trustees established the Northfield Stewardship Committee (NSC). With Carol Ramsey ’70 as chair, other trustees are Seth Alvord ’79, John Berg ’80, Bob Macomber ’60, Don McNemar, and John Wilson ’50. William “Buzz” Constable ’68 has also joined that group. The first meeting of the NSC was held on May 27. The committee interviewed consulting groups to organize Phase I of the initiative. Dennis Bidwell of Bidwell Associates and Dick Perkins of LandVest were engaged for the project. The NSC will meet twice before the full board of trustees meeting November 4-6. Discussion of the completed Bidwell/LandVest report will be central in coming meetings.

Carol Lebo, executive assistant to the president, reviewed the history of communications concerning the campus, the challenges in reaching all constituencies, and the activity of confronting and debunking rumors. She further talked about meetings and cooperative efforts with the town of Northfield (NMH and the town have a history of cooperation on projects; a senior center is a current priority) as well as the Rustic Ridge Association. She spoke briefly of other current economic planning in the region both north and south through the Pioneer Valley, and east and west in conjunction with a recent report on the Northern Tier, from Fitchburg to Williamstown, identifying the kinds of industry needed in the area. She made a strong plea for use of the website, www.nmhschool.org/future.  There is a great deal of information there. The most recent material and press releases can be found under the “letters, articles, and reports” button.

Mueller continued by introducing Dennis Bidwell and Dick Perkins. Their Phase I work consists of collecting in one place a summary of the history, culture, and mission of NMH within the physical context of Franklin County and the town of Northfield. Specific detail of the size and condition of the campus and its facilities is also included. This packet of material will be shared with experts in various fields for feedback. From this research a report on possible adaptive reuse will be produced.

Later in the morning’s agenda was a group study of Campus Reuse Criteria as expressed in the Bidwell/Landvest, which follows:

As campus reuse alternatives are examined, they will be evaluated based on a range of criteria, including the following.

• The extent to which uses are consistent with, and preferably symbiotic with, the ongoing educational mission and programs of the Northfield Mount Hermon School.

• The extent to which uses are consistent with the character of the Town of Northfield and respectful of the history of the Northfield campus. This includes keeping to a minimum any incompatible new construction on the campus.

• The extent to which a future user or users will be able to productively utilize all of the available campus property, thereby allowing the school to fully realize the economic value of the Northfield campus.

• The extent to which a future user or users will be interested in long-term lease or joint venture arrangement, thereby providing the school with a combination of cash flow and long-term control of the property.

Dennis Bidwell, planning consultant from Northampton, who specializes in real estate issues often for non-profits, confirmed the plan for Phase I as outlined by Mueller. In a nutshell they have prepared the packet (a couple of copies were available for perusal), continue to collect information and feedback from the NMH community, are assembling feedback from experts within the reuse scenarios they have identified as most promising, and are seeking to determine which will be most feasible. They will engage experts in each field to debate the reuse scenarios and examine and test each notion.

Dick Perkins from Landvest, a large real estate firm in Boston that also works frequently with non-profits, reviewed some preliminary reuse ideas that have been suggested:

• senior living community

• relocation of part of college (such as U Mass College of Architecture which is looking for new space)

• religious organization use

• for-profit educational use (such as a western school needing an eastern campus)

• international educational institutes that want a US base

• multiuse plan

• residential developers

• federal agency use for educational purposes

• arts and performance centers

Buzz Constable ’68, a real estate lawyer with considerable experience in development, described the complicated concepts of “economic reality” and how those must be assessed to ensure the long-term interests of NMH, preferably allowing the school to keep control of the Northfield campus. The opinion from Constable and the other experts who spoke is that there will probably not be one reuse scenario but a combination-use that will meet the criteria for a desirable plan.

Mueller directed the formation of six groups (averaging a dozen members), and gave the following assignment: 

• review the distributed criteria and give feedback;
• propose, discuss and list viable potential reuses;
• suggest resources for the school to pursue that would help us find the best possible reuse options; be specific.

Following a half-hour of lively small-group discussion, a spokesperson from each group reported.

Discussion about the criteria centered mostly on support for them as stated with concern for the prioritization of the points. Would #1 really be first? Many felt #4 needed to be almost equal with #1. Others suggested a clearer definition of Moody Legacy and a stronger emphasis on the cultural and international aspects of the “ongoing educational mission” in point #1. Several groups questioned the “incompatible construction” in point #2. Others urged that criteria not be so restrictive as to make reuse impossible.

The following summary lists the suggestions presented by rough topic outline and frequency. 

Most groups did not get to part three of the assignment. No new ideas/resources have been received to date.

Following the small-group reports, Mueller brought the meeting to a close.      He thanked all in attendance for their presence, energy, enthusiasm, good thinking, and patience. Reminding the participants of the day’s goals, he expressed his belief that much valuable information had been shared, many important conversations had taken place, and that the group seemed ready to reach out and help educate their individual constituencies about the process and the status and content of work being done.

The form of ongoing work will be framed by the NSC at a future meeting.  Groups of experts in various areas will serve as a sounding board for the NSC where specific expertise in needed. It is important to note that today’s meeting is independent of any further advisory work. Future advisors will be chosen based on the mandate for advisory work, the skills needed, and who best meets those requirements. Again, the NSC meets twice before November, the Bidwell/LandVest report will be completed in early October, and the full board of trustees will meet in November to determine future directions and additional work.

Mueller stressed his and the committee’s intention to communicate as fully as possible whenever possible. He reminded those present to send suggestions about advisors or resources for the NSC to Carol Lebo at carol_lebo@nmhschool.org.

Notes were prepared from input from reporters by Carol Lebo.

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