What To Do With Old Rehoboth Town Hall?

The Board of Selectmen discussed plans for the future of the former town hall.

One possibility is selling the property, but that might not be so easy.

The facility at 148 Peck Street was constructed in 1956 as a Nike missile site. In 1971, the property was acquired for use as a town hall from the federal government for $5,900. Another $12,000 was spent on renovations, furnishings, and equipment.

“They’re going to look for certain things before you sell it that have been left behind,” Chairman Skip Vadnais said Tuesday. “In order to get that document would be impossible. We may not even have a right to sell the building. That could be totally off the table the way the government does things.”

Vadnais explained research would need to be conducted to determine if the town has to turn over the building to the government when it is no longer being used. 

Another problem is the proximity of Nike Park, which is under the control of the Park Commission.

Last September, the Board of Selectmen authorized the use of the building for storage for a few town departments. The Highway and Forestry departments have been allowed to keep their materials in the building.

“We’re kind of stuck with that building,” said Selectman Michael Deignan, noting there was still mold and asbestos inside of it.

“I have fixed some of the problems there when the town hall was there,” said Selectman Rob Johnson, who runs the forestry department.

The current Town Hall facility is at 340 Anawan Street. The land and building was purchased for $995,000 after voters approved a warrant article at the May 2021 Town Meeting.