More than 300 signatories join seven residents opposing possible location of new, $64M Williams art museum building

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. -- More than 300 online "petitioners" have joined seven town residents using Facebook and iPetition to raise awareness of reports that Williams College is considering building a $64-million, 200,000-square-foot facility for its art museum at the corner of Southworth and Main streets. The petition opposes the location.

On Nov. 27, at 8:06 p.m., Stephanie Boyd posted this to her Facebook page: 

Perhaps you are interested in this issue. Williams College is exploring the possibility of building a new college arts complex to house the WCMA art collection and galleries, faculty offices, administrative offices, meeting spaces, viewing rooms, a potential café, and other associated spaces.

The site currently under consideration for this project is located at the northwest corner of Southworth St. and Main St. in Williamstown which is zoned General Residence 2. The project will necessitate the removal of historic properties and greatly diminish the quiet people-friendly nature of Southworth St.

We hope you will read the background material and petition here: http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/save-southworth-street

Please feel free to forward this email to your friends and colleagues.Thank you,Henry Art, Williamstown resident and Williams College, Rosenburg Professor of Environmental Studies and Biology; Stephanie Boyd, Williamstown resident and former director of the Williams College Zilkha Center for Environmental Initiatives;  Betsy Burris, Williamstown resident; Richard D. De Veaux, Williamstown resident and Williams College, C. Carlisle and Margaret Tippit Class of ’42 Professor of Statistics; Sylvia Logan, Williamstown resident; Anne O’Connor, Williamstown resident (and selectwoman); and Catherine McKeen, Williamstown resident.

Comments

[Cynthia D. Payne]

I'm so disgusted by the way the college destroys neighborhoods (Hoxsey Street) and tears down attractive and historic old buildings (the Opera House) in order to build ugly modern buildings (the studio arts building).
Southworth is a quiet, residential street. The only real traffic is children going to school. And the college wants to move the art museum to this quiet corner. How many homes does it plan to tear down in order to build this complex? I agree with Bill Densmore: use the Town Garage parking lot on Water Street.

[Bill Densmore]

Why don't they propose building it on the old Town Garage site on Water Street? It could be integrated with a little retail and a parking garage that could facilitate a connection to Spring Street. If it were tall enough, there could even be a pedestrian walkway across to the studio art building. I rent an office right next door to that site but I'd favor it. That site has also been proposed for affordable housing so maybe that could be part of the development. College gets the land from the town in exchange for a commitment to include some residential development -- mixing residential with Spring Street and art is a sound urban-planning strategy.