ONYX’s presentation

Last night ONYX Partners Ltd. (Anton Melchionda of Dover) presented the following proposal to a joint meeting of the Select Board, Warrant Committee, and Medfield Park & Recreation Commission.

Points from my notes:

1. ONYX’s entity as the developer would be a for profit real estate entity owning the land and the 80,000 sq. ft., 8 court basketball facility.
2. Medfield Park & Recreation Commission gets a 20,000 sq. ft. facility.
3. ONYX would still go ahead if the # of courts were reduced to as few as four.
4. ONYX’s prime tenant (30-40%) would be the non-profit BB program for kids K-12 Anton runs.
5. ONYX would pay property taxes.
6. Structures could be moved around on the site.
7. Bellforge Arts Center stated it is also interested in acquiring the use of the same 12 acres for purposes related to its cultural arts center.

My initial thoughts:

1. The town needs to know the financial details, but those are only likely to come much later, after the annual town meeting (ATM) and responses to a town request for proposals (RFP).
2. The large amount of traffic generated would severely impact residents.
3. I would place any structures next to the RR tracks, as far as possible from Hospital Road, so they are as hidden as much as possible from Hospital Road by the elevation change, in order to protect the view scape from the top of the hill as much as possible.
4. If an RFP is put out, it should be for any and all uses, so the town can evaluate all possible options for this precious town asset, including one from the Bellforge Arts Center.
5. Finally, as an alternative, I encourage Medfield Park & Recreation Commission to consider doing its own building, on the basis that the town borrows the money for MPRC’s building and MPRC commits to paying the debt service on that building out of the fees MPRC charges for programs they run out of the building. A former director of MPRC opined that the program revenues could financially pay the debt service.