Photo: Jim MacKay/WBZ NewsRadio
QUINCY, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — The City of Quincy is awaiting final approval to purchase the grounds of the former Eastern Nazarene College.
Mayor Thomas Koch reached a deal with the governing board that oversees the former college to purchase the campus for $21 million. The deal now needs approval from the Quincy City Council.
“The goal of protecting the neighborhood and creating opportunities for a vibrant community asset is the right one, and the price is the right one to make it work for everyone,” Koch said in a statement to the Quincy Sun.
The campus is 27 acres with 14 buildings and 14 adjacent properties.
The college closed in May of 2025 because of financial challenges. Koch announced plans to purchase the property during his State of the City address earlier this year, saying he wants to prevent it from becoming high-density housing.
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"I believe in creating housing, but I also believe in protecting single family neighborhoods," he said in his address. "Ultimately, the only way for our community to shape the future of the ENC campus is to control the campus."
Since then, the city has asked the public for input on how the space should be used.
One Quincy resident told WBZ NewsRadio they'd like to see "multi-use" buildings and said more residential areas could "drive down some of the rising rent costs."
Meantime, other residents think the funds could be allocated to other issues.
"I am a little bit concerned with the mayor's spending habits," one local woman said. "Put in more parks and sitting places."
"A lot of potholes and not a lot of maintenance," another local man said. "You could roll back into the infrastructure."
WBZ NewsRadio’s Chris Fama (CFamaWBZ) reports.