Two groups will figure out a plan for Fall River's Bank Street Armory. What's in store.

FALL RIVER — Last January, the City Council rejected a plan to sell the Bank Street Armory and renovate it into a market-rate housing development, and ever since there’s been little movement to develop the nearly 127-year-old fortress-like building.

But some movement may be afoot, after members of the council's Committee on Ordinances and Legislation invited the members of the Historical Commission and Preservation Society of Fall River to help devise a plan for its future use.

Committee chairwoman and Council Vice President Linda Pereira said a plan will rely on public input.

“They want to have public hearings to see what people think. I think bringing the community into it would make sense,” said Pereira, who was a staunch opponent of selling the armory.

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What is up with the Bank Street Armory?

The armory, which opened to the public on Feb. 24, 1897 , was once home to a volunteer militia, the National Guard, and Greater Fall River Re-Creation and Youth Build when it came under city ownership in 1976. The building has been shuttered since April 2015, when an inspection revealed one of the chimneys had loose granite blocks leaning in toward the gym. City workers later repaired the chimney, but the building has been used solely for storage since.

The administration estimated it could cost more than $10 million to repair the building. The city recently spent $35,000 to shore up leaks in the roof and the interior is in bad condition.

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When Mayor Paul Coogan he first took office in 2020, he worked with the owner of an event space at an armory in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, but the deal fell through. The Redevelopment Authority was thinking of taking it over, but they eventually decided they didn’t want it.

A request for proposals for its redevelopment, with a preference to build an event center, received only one response. Local developer Alan Macomber, who redeveloped the former Bradford Durfee Textile School across the street, offered to pay $200,000 and create 37 market-rate housing units. That proposal drew the ire of some city councilors, the public and the Historical Commission.

A plan will help target grants for redeveloping the armory

Pereira said the “biggest piece” is to get a plan together to identify a future use of the armory that will allow the city to seek out more targeted grants and endowments, whether it's used by veterans, as a tourism office, for recreation or as an arts and events space.

Historical Commission Chairman Jason Bouchard-Nawrocki and Alexander Silva, a member of the Preservation Society of Fall River's board of directors, attended the committee meeting.

They suggested that the commission could hold meetings and forums with neighborhood groups, and create a survey for the public to chime in on the future uses of the armory.

“You're only going to get grants if you know what you're going to do with it,” said Pereira.

She noted that the council cannot request Community Preservation Act funding, but that the Historical Commission and Preservation Society can, giving the city another reason to work with those boards.

Councilors have suggested giving the Historical Commission authority over the building , but Corporation Counsel advised against that would essentially take away the City Council's sole authority to sell off the property.

This article originally appeared on The Herald News: Two groups will figure out a plan for Fall River's Bank Street Armory. What's in store.