Hancock Approves Quincy Green and Ryan Street Garden Purchases for $167,000

Hancock will move forward with plans to purchase the Quincy Green and Ryan Street Gardens from O’Keefe LLC., acting for FInlandia University. The city has agreed to a loss of about 20 feet from the west end of the greenspace. The Finlandia Foundation National, who has plans underway to purchase the Finnish American Heritage Center, expects to expand the location.

“So Finlandia had plans that were designed to expand, and build out from there. And I don’t know if they’re (Finlandia Foundation National) going to adapt those plans, or adopt those plans. Or if they’re going to make new plans. There is some thought to expanding in order to include aspects of the folk school. So in order for hem to sell us Quincy Green, we had to remove the western 20 feet. And allow it to go with the Finnish American Heritage Center so they can do an expansion. Otherwise the Finlandia Foundation National wanted the whole Quincy Green.” – Mary Babcock, City Manager, City of Hancock

The Quincy Green purchase by Hancock will cost the city 140,000 dollars. The council agreed it was money well spent considering the amount of community events that regular take place in the area. The Ryan Street Gardens post a sticker price of 27,000 dollars. Though Hancock has some of the cost covered by grant funding. And there is money coming from the Ryan Street gardeners, who are currently running a fundraiser to help alleviate the cost.

“And then we did receive a grant from the Copper Shores Community Health Foundation, to also assist with the purchase of that property. So we are really only putting up about 7,500 dollars.” – Mary Babcock, City Manager, City of Hancock

Hancock will have the property purchases come out of the city’s general fund. Community members in attendance were grateful to have the city save public spaces that are used by the community. O’Keefe LLC. has agreements with other parties for separate Finlandia properties in the works. While his group awaits a court decision on the abandonment of six remaining sites.