WGBH Purchases Historic Davis House, Renovation Planned

WOODS HOLE – In mid December 2009, public service broadcaster WGBH purchased the historic Davis House at 3 Water Street in Woods Hole from fellow nonprofit the Children’s School of Science. The move will enable WCAI to continue its radio operations here, and give new life to the 164-year-old building. The recorded deed indicated a purchase price of $670,000. 

“We’re delighted that this wonderful space we’ve rented for eleven years will now become our permanent home,” said WCAI Station Director and WGBH Radio General Manager John Voci.

Since 1998, WGBH has leased the building for WCAI, the Cape and Islands NPR Station, and its repeater services WNAN and WZAI. All are listener-supported public radio stations serving Cape Cod, Nantucket, Martha’s Vineyard, and the south coast.

The exterior of the Greek Revival structure is in poor condition and in need of substantial repairs. In January WCAI will launch an appeal for public support for a Renovation Fund to help restore the building. Immediate needs include a new roof and windows, and the removal of asbestos siding.

“With WGBH’s involvement and the help of our listeners, WCAI will preserve and protect this prominent town landmark for future generations of Woods Hole residents and visitors,” said Voci.

According to Susan Witzell, Archivist and Assistant Curator of the Woods Hole Museum, The Davis House was built in 1845 for Civil War veteran Captain Thomas G. Davis. At one time the house had a store on the first floor with living quarters above, she said. “It was beautiful.”

“The Davis House sits at the gateway of Woods Hole and helps define the historic character of our village,” said longtime resident Thomas J. Hynes, Jr. “Many of us were concerned that the building might be purchased for its location and then demolished to make way for new construction. We are delighted that the property will remain with our friends at WCAI, who have proven to be good neighbors. I know they will be careful stewards of this classic landmark.” 

WCAI, the Cape and Islands NPR station, is broadcast on 90.1FM, 91.1FM and 94.3FM and WGBH HD3, 89.7 Boston. The station is listener-supported public radio serving Cape Cod, Nantucket, Martha’s Vineyard, and the Southcoast.

WGBH Boston is America’s preeminent public broadcaster, producing such award-winning PBS series as Masterpiece, Antiques Roadshow, Frontline, Nova, American Experience, Arthur, Curious George, and more than a dozen other prime-time, lifestyle, and children’s series and websites.

WGBH Radio serves listeners from Cape Cod to New Hampshire with 89.7 WGBH, Boston’s NPR® Station for News and Culture; 99.5 All Classical; WCAI for Cape Cod and the Islands; WNCK on Nantucket; and the All-Classical WGBH HD channel.

Kinlin Grover GMAC Acquired by Randall Realtors GMAC

OSTERVILLE, MA & CHARLESTOWN, RI - Kinlin Grover GMAC Real Estate has been sold to Randall Realtors GMAC Real Estate. Together, the two companies now have 18 offices and more than 400 sales associates and employees. The combined companies achieved more than $700 million in sales in 2008. Each firm will continue to operate under their current names. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Kinlin Grover’s 11 offices are located in: Barnstable, Brewster, Chatham, Falmouth, Harwich Port, Orleans, Osterville, Sandwich, South Yarmouth, Wellfleet, and Yarmouth Port.

Randall Realtors offices are located in Rhode Island and Connecticut. The five Rhode Island offices are in: Charlestown, North Kingston, Wakefield, Watch Hill and Westerly. The company’s Connecticut offices are in Mystic and Waterford. Randall Realtors was established in 1977 as H.D. Randall Realtors in Charlestown, Rhode Island.

Kinlin Grover was founded in 1992 and has grown to  include 11 real estate offices located throughout Cape Cod, MA. In addition to commercial real estate brokerage, second home sales, and property management services Kinlin Grover Vacation Rentals is the largest vacation rental firm on Cape Cod.

Long Time Cape Cod Manufacturer Plans Relocation

If all goes according to plan, Sapphire Engineering, Inc. will be relocating operations from Bourne to Middleborough, MA.

Sapphire Engineering, Inc., a subsidiary of IDEX Corporation, is a U.S. health and science manufacturer of custom precision analytical and diagnostic components for original equipment manufacturers.

The firm is now located in a leased facility which it has been occupying for many years. This 38,100 square foot flex facility built in 1978, is located just west of MacArthur Blvd. at 53 Portside Drive in Pocasset, MA (pictured above).

The Company, however, has outgrown existing facilities in Pocasset and Hopedale, MA and is seeking to relocate and consolidate its operations in a central facility. Sapphire Engineering, Inc. plans to retain all 170 full-time manufacturing jobs from the two Massachusetts facilities. The move is also slated to create 15 new permanent full-time jobs.

Under the relocation and consolidation measure, the business plans to invest a total of $11.8 million in the Town of Middleborough. This figure includes construction costs associated with the interior build out, clean room space, new machinery and equipment, and projected future investments estimated at $3.5 million.

The proposed facility will be located within Campanelli Business Park of Middleborough, a modern park located off of I-495. Major tenants currently in the park include Christmas Tree Shops (530,000SF), NES Clothing Co. (275,000SF), Serta Mattress Co. (150,000SF).

Although Sapphire Engineering will initially lease approximately 80,000 square feet of manufacturing space, the occupancy includes the option to add 20,000 square feet of expansion space. Construction of the proposed building is scheduled to begin this Spring.

An incentive for making the relocation is a Tax Increment Financing (TIF) component, a feature of the Massachusetts Economic Development Incentive Program (EDIP). The TIF was widely approved at Middleborough Special Town Meeting in October 2008.

Like any good and supporting member of the community, Sapphire Engineering, Inc. will be missed.

Was Anyone Really Surprised When Mr. Wallenda Fell?

Photograph by MoonSoleil/Conny Liegl

The Flying Wallenda’s were tightrope daredevils who performed without a safety net. Having perfected the 7 person human pyramid over 50 years of performing they became the most famous high wire circus act of the 20th century. In a 1963 performance two of the family fell to their deaths.

Some people were surprised.

In the middle of this decade the availability of no-doc, 45 year, 105 % cash back at closing, adjustable rate home loans made the market prices soar. Having perfected the art of packaging tens of millions of loans by stuffing in the junk with the good stuff, shares of junk bonds backed by homes spread all over the world. The American savings rate is down to zero.

In 2008 the realization dawned that this meant some people had “already sold their house to the bank” and they were “upside down”. Irrational panic followed and several large companies fell to their deaths.

Some people were surprised.

Human nature is to follow the lemming in front of you and don’t ask any questions. Safety in numbers. We have a media which tends to make news where there isn’t any. And don’t even mention talk radio. They would make you think the boom times were normal and would never end. Now we have gone the other way and are talking ourselves right off the cliff. You read stats saying this or that is “36% Down”. Of course it is, we were on an all time high. Now we are going down. It’s a simple rhythm, like the tide. Up then Down.

Some lost sight of cycle when it was at the top. Now they are losing sight of the cycle when it’s at the bottom. From Irrational Euphoria to sheer Adrenaline Panic.

Those of us beyond gen x and y have seen worse than this. What’s different this time is the media carnival overplaying the situation. Remember Y2K ? It was brought to you by the news media. Remember how they said the electricity, the banks and all computers would fail at midnight on December 31, 1999 ? Remember what happened ? Nothing. Next time you read a Newsweek comparison to the Great Depression keep that in mind.

We also remember Robert Vesco, Michael Milliken and the junk bonds, the crash of 1987, the crash of 1999 (most have forgotten that one) and of course the dip after 911. We are still here and those of us who didn’t try to perform the 7 person human pyramid on a tightrope are doing fine.

This is the prediction of a seasoned observer – the media that magnifies and spins so well will turn from obsessing on the negative to finding the positive some time after the new President gets in. They will fulfill their own prophecy which they spun before the election. We will rally, once again, as we always have.

 

Chuck Carey is the principal of Carey Commercial, a Hyannis, MA based business and investment property brokerage firm serving Cape Cod, MA. Through his more than twenty years of professional involvement in the local marketplace, he is widely regarded as one of a small number of commercial brokers offering the level of experience and pragmatic perspective clients require as they address the dynamics of changing market cycles.