Select Board Accepts Williams College's $2 Million Water Street Offer, 4-1

WILLIAMSTOWN -- June 22, 2026, Williamstown Select Board votes 4-1 to accept Williams College's $2 million offer for a long-vacant Water Street lot. The board approved the revised bid at its June 22 meeting, with Secretary Shana Dixon casting the lone dissenting vote. Under the revised terms, Williams will pay $500,000 as a purchase price at closing plus a one-time $1.5 million community contribution, double the college's original total offer, replacing a prior proposal that had directed $50,000 annually to local schools for 10 years. Williams College community relations representative Gina Puck said the $1.5 million figure was derived from an analysis of 35 commercial comparable properties in town, yielding an estimated average annual tax yield of roughly $25,000 discounted to present value. The college plans to use the site as part of its athletics and recreation facilities project and indicated a mid-summer closing timeline is preferred to preserve its construction schedule. Paul Lufferin, a former Spring Street business owner and Williamstown property owner, urged the board to negotiate harder on public parking access before closing, estimating upward of 130 vehicles currently based at the college's Meacham Street facility would relocate to the site.