A group of development and design professionals in Falmouth has submitted a proposal to redevelop the town’s former Plummer-Motz and Lunt elementary school properties for a variety of residential, commercial, community and school uses.

Redfern North Atlantic combines the development firms of Jonathan Culley and Jed Harris, both Falmouth residents, and includes architect Phil Kaplan, who lives on Lunt Street, across from the 20-acre school complex.

Redfern’s detailed proposal, minus financial data, is posted online and is one of “multiple proposals” that were submitted to the town before Tuesday’s deadline.

Falmouth officials are withholding all information about the proposals to ensure that they have the best bargaining position in negotiations, which could last for weeks or months.

“We’ve kept the financial details of our proposal confidential out of respect for (town officials),” Culley said Thursday. “We don’t think we’re doing anything that jeopardizes the town’s bargaining position.”

Culley noted that the town likely got a proposal from OceanView at Falmouth, a 60-acre retirement community next to the school complex.

OceanView has openly promoted its overall expansion plans, and company representatives met privately with the Town Council in July, after the council decided to seek competitive proposals for the school properties.

The council is scheduled to review all of the proposals in an executive session on Dec. 12.

Redfern has partnered with the Friends School of Portland, which is in rented space on Mackworth Island and would buy the Lunt building and roughly 10 acres of the town-owned property.

Redfern’s proposal also calls for converting the Plummer-Motz buildings into a community center and office space, creating a town green for special events, building 16 townhomes and seven single-family homes, and adding retail space, including a food market and a bakery.

Staff Writer Kelley Bouchard can be contacted at 791-6328 or at:

kbouchard@pressherald.com

 

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