Update on the Nellie Ackerson Building

The Nellie Ackerson Building, located at 410 City Road, currently sits empty but one day may host a Community Center.

Representatives from Manchester area non-profits met earlier this month at the regularly scheduled roundtable. Manchester Community Schools superintendent Nick Steinmetz gave an update on the process to turn the Nellie Ackerson Building, 410 City Road, into a community center. The building which has in the past served all grade levels and as an administrative building for the district, has sat empty since last August.

Earlier this fall, the school district talked about moving the Community Resource Center and Co-op Preschool back into the Ackerson building by the start of the next school year. Currently the Community Resource Center, which was the last to leave the Ackerson building, rents space at Riverside School. The Co-op Preschool, whose plan to relocate to 327 West Main Street fell through at the last minute, is not operating this school year. Steinmetz explained that the income from the just the Community Resource Center and Co-op Preschool rent will not be enough to re-open the Ackerson Building, so instead the Community Resource Center will stay at Riverside School another year and the Co-op Preschool will be offered rooms for rent at Klager Elementary School next year.

Steinmetz went on to say that the next step will be to determine a square foot rental price for the available rooms at the Ackerson Building as well as a minimum income to reopen, then to get commitments from potential renters. The estimated cost of keeping the Ackerson building open generated by the board last summer was $3,800/month on top of updates, repairs, and renovations needed to prepare the building for renters.

The school board’s committee on this topic will meet again in February.

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by Sara Swanson

Sara Swanson is an editor, writer and founder of the Manchester Mirror.