'A big number': Norwell Select Board agrees to buy St. Helen's Church for $9 million

Jessica Trufant, The Patriot Ledger
·2 min read
The Norwell Select Board agreed to buy St. Helen's Church on Washington for $9 million.
The Norwell Select Board agreed to buy St. Helen's Church on Washington for $9 million.

NORWELL – The town's select board has struck a deal with the Boston archdiocese to  buy  St. Helen's Church for about $9 million, but residents will have the final say.

The board authorized Chairman Bruce Graham to sign the purchase-and-sale agreement between the Boston archdiocese and the town.

The purchase will require a two-thirds majority vote at town meeting. Town Administrator Peter Morin said the town will hold a special town meeting Jan. 9 to consider the purchase.

The Boston archdiocese plans to sell St. Helen's in Norwell and St. Thecla's in Pembroke and build a new church at the site of St. Mary's Church in Hanover to serve all three communities.

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Graham said the town offered  to  buy the property for $250,000 more than the next-highest offer. He said the archdiocese received offers mostly from out-of-state developers looking to build affordable housing.

"To our surprise, the number was much greater than expected. We had been budgeting mentally and fiscally for $3 (million) to $4 million," Graham said. "It's a big number, and the good news is that there is a pretty  straightforward way for us to finance the purchase of this land should we decide to do that."

In July, several neighbors went before the select board to discuss ideas for the St. Helen's property, which is two lots  that total more than 10 acres, assessors' records show.

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Neighbors said they want the town to use it for recreational space, affordable housing and a commercial component that fits with the neighborhood.

Graham said officials and residents will continue to meet to develop a plan for the use of the land so residents will have  details about what the purchase would mean for the town. Officials will also hold informational meetings about the proposal.

"It needs to be clear enough for people to understand," Grahm  said. "It's not going to be a golf course, and it's not going to just sit there, and it's not going to be skyscraper."

This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Norwell selectmen agree to buy St. Helen's Church for $9 million