Training Center at Sullivan School North Adams Out

The City Council on Tuesday night rejected a proposal to turn Sullivan School into a manufacturing training center, ending months of debate over the future of the vacant building.

 The vote was 5-2, with only Council President Paul Hopkins and Councilor Wayne Wilkinson voting for the sale.

The defeat was put down to concerns over the size of the parcel, the residential neighborhood and intimations that a zoning change might be sought.

The newly organized Berkshire Advanced Manufacturing Training and Education Center, or BAMTEC, had offered a $1 for the 56-year-old school with the intent to invest upwards of $11 million into the building and another $3 million in equipment.

The nonprofit made up of local business and manufacturing owners and educators had envisioned the training center as a catalyst for small-business development in advanced manufacturing.

Read more on this story at  iBerkshires.com