Douglas Grammar School RFP Draws Zero Bids, Forcing Town Back to Drawing Board

DOUGLAS -- June 17, 2026, Douglas grammar school sale draws zero bids as building committee navigates stalled projects. The Building and Facilities Construction Committee, chaired by Vice Chair Linda Brown in place of Chairperson Shirley Muszynski, learned at its June 17 meeting that the request for proposals for 11 Gleason Court, the old grammar school, attracted no offers by the June 16 deadline, with one pre-bid designer citing a self-imposed granite staircase plan as a cost barrier. Member Carol Gogolinsky attributed broader developer reluctance to uncertainty over a statewide rent-control measure heading for the November ballot, saying "everybody is like, what is coming down." The committee's highway building project also remains frozen pending legal counsel's resolution of an easement dispute and utility pole relocation, with attorney Henry Lane not yet responding. On a positive note, the fire station HVAC upgrade kicked off the same morning, with contractor work expected by late August and a spare conduit eliminating excavation costs. The committee also previewed a no-cost Ameresco facilities assessment for the school campus, valued at up to $50,000, aimed at identifying heating, cooling, and renewable energy upgrades for next-agenda discussion.