March 16, 2026 by Glenn Mangurian
Ninth in a Series: Learning about the New Center for Active Living Project
Summary
1. Last Spring AdCom voted 13-1 and the Select Board voted 3-0 in favor of Article 15 in the 2025 Town Meeting.
2. Hingham again received the highest credit opinion/rating by Moody and S&P for its excellent financial planning and preparedness.
3. Since the 2025 Town Meeting, the building size has been reduced (28,000 sq. ft. to less than 26,000 sq. ft.) and project cost is less expensive ($35 million to less than $30 million).
4. The median tax impact has improved since the 2025 Town Meeting (reduced $156 for 5-year average to $174 8-year average median tax increase) and will continue to decrease as principal is paid on the 28-year bond.
5. The marginal tax payer savings is only $6 per $1 million reduction in project cost for each 1,300 sq. ft. reduction in facility size that would require corresponding diminished programming.
6. The current HCAL project received favorable votes by Hingham Planning, Zoning and Select Boards as well as State and Federal agencies.
7. Given the strong support voted by the Select Board and AdCom last April, it is likely AdCom will factor this recent tax impact decrease into its deliberations and recommendation for this April’s Town Meeting.
The 2025 Town Meeting Authorization
Last Spring AdCom voted 13-1 and the Select Board voted 3-0 in favor of Article 15 in the 2025 Town Meeting Warrant related to the new Center for Active Living. That article authorized $2.5 million to support the professional services to complete the pre-construction bid documents and to obtain construction bids for the new Center to be located at Bare Cove Park Drive. The conceptual design is for a single story 28,000 sq. ft. building that has an estimated project cost of $35,000,000. That article passed by a vote of Town Meeting attendees.
The subsequent design results of the building committee and consultants include the following:
What has changed since last April?
More favorable economics
- Project cost has been reduced from $35 million to less than $30 million.
- Facility size reduced from 28,000 sq. ft. to 25,950 sq. ft. through value engineering
- Project cost reduced from $35 million to $29.1 million (assuming $800,000 savings from the
$2.5 million authorized in Article 15). - The financing scenario as reported by the Town Administrator is likely to be a bifurcated
borrowing (50% in FY27 and 100% in FY28) via interest only one-year notes followed by a 28-year bond in FY29. - Hingham again received the highest credit opinion by Moody and S&P for its excellent financial planning and preparedness.
- Median taxpayer impact has been reduced to a modest $174 per year.
- The average 8-year property tax impact for the median assessed property (FY26 = $1,147,250) was reduced to currently $156 (5-year average) to $174 (8-week average) or $3.35 per week with the anticipated financial scenario. The tax impact will continue to decrease after eight years.
- Half residential properties assessed below $1,147,250 will pay less than the $174. For example, if a property is assessed at $650,000, the 5-year average increase will equal $95 and the 8-year average increase will equal $107.
- Half residential properties assessed above $1,147,250 will pay more than $174. For example, if a property is assessed at $2.5 million the 5-year average increase will equal $369 and the 8- year average increase will equal $412.
- The marginal tax payer savings is only $6 per $1 million reduction in project cost for each 1,300 sq. ft. reduction in facility size that would require corresponding diminished programming.
- Tax impact estimator created and posted for specific 4-year impact (FY27-FY31). Years FY31 through the remainder of the bond term will continue decreasing each year as the principal is paid down.
- The project has received favorable project reviews, Federal and State rulings and local approvals
- Favorable environmental rulings by relevant State agencies and use ruling by the National Park Service
- Favorable votes by Hingham Planning and Zoning Boards
- Unanimous vote (3-0) of support by Select Board
- Other
- Utilization projections by room reviewed by AdCom
- Potential vendors qualified
- Bid documents completed and sent to potential vendors
- Questions raised and answered about other site possibilities including the infeasible Town Hall location as a result of consultants study
What’s the same as last April?
- Location off Bare Cove Drive
- Future potential capital projects as identified by the capital forecast from previous years without accounting for Federal or State funding
- The new CAL continues to be the third priority (after Foster School and Public Safety) building project for the town.
- The facility is designed with a life of 50 years for a growing senior population including future generations of residents currently in early to mid-adulthood.
- Some concern expressed over the size (and associated cost) of the original 28,000 sq. ft. conceptual design.
The consultants and Building Committee listened to concerns raised by AdCom and the public comments. Their efforts have resulted in a debt exclusion whose financing cost will result in a lower anticipated median tax impact of $174 annually, on average, over the first eight years and then will continue to decrease.
Given the strong support voted by Select Board (3-0) and AdCom (13-1) last April, it is likely AdCom will factor this recent tax impact decrease into its deliberations and recommendation for this April’s Town Meeting.
Glenn Mangurian is a Hingham resident of 42 years. He welcomes your comments and can be reached at gmangurian@comcast.net