Norwood Hospital Study Committee Begins Gathering Information on Civic Center Purchase Proposal-September 9, 1975

The Norwood Hospital Study Committee officially commenced its work gathering information regarding a proposal by hospital officials to purchase the Norwood Civic Center to accommodate long-range facility expansion.

Study Committee Scope and Options

When hospital representatives first approached selectmen a month prior, they indicated a desire to gauge the town’s attitude toward purchasing the 5.3-acre Civic Center property as part of a feasibility study. Norwood Hospital faces three primary strategic alternatives: relocating entirely to the 30-acre “Walwood” site in Walpole donated by industrialist Charles Sumner Bird, expanding locally in Norwood, or implementing a hybrid approach that retains certain healthcare services in Norwood while shifting primary operations to Walpole.

Selectman Joseph F. Curran, serving as committee chairman, indicated that the hospital’s willingness to pay fair market value for the Civic Center parcel and assist the town in financing a replacement facility would be explored with hospital administrator David P. Buchmueller at the group’s subsequent meeting.

Committee members expressed diverse viewpoints on the proposal:

• Recreational Replacement Sites: Town Engineer Robert A. Hamilton presented an extensive list of potential alternative locations for a relocated recreation center, headed by a 37-acre parcel off Mylod Street owned by Mr. Bird (abuting land recently purchased by the town for $94,000). Other suggested sites included land off Clapboardtree Street and Upland Road owned by Polaroid, the Schofield land off Route I-95, old well fields near University Avenue, town-owned Hennessey Field, the Norwood Arena, and land near the Willett School.
• Recreation and Veteran Concerns: Recreation Director Robert H. Ivatts stressed the absolute necessity of receiving a binding commitment from the hospital to construct a modern replacement facility before taking possession of the Civic Center to prevent service interruptions. Meanwhile, committee member Frank Ciavattone, president of the Veterans’ Council, flatly opposed selling the building on emotional grounds, noting that a World War II Memorial addition was dedicated there in 1969 and the facility was recently renamed in honor of the late veteran leader Francis E. Donlan.

Chairman Curran emphasized that the study committee’s sole mandate is to gather factual information and community sentiment rather than issue binding recommendations, with the final decision ultimately resting with town meeting.

Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger