DANVERS STATE HOSPITAL 

Almost one year after a fire swept through the former Danvers State property, the 433-unit Avalon Danvers apartment complex atop Hathorne Hill is nearly complete.The fire, which burned down three buildings and whose cause was never determined, set construction back six to eight months. All the buildings in the apartment complex are now scheduled to open June 1, with some ready for occupancy May 1. By the time an open house is held in June, the developer expects it to be 80 percent to 90 percent occupied, said Scott Dale, vice president of AvalonBay Communities.

Today, the complex, which cost $80 million to build, sports apartments with lofty ceilings, large windows and sweeping views of the North Shore. Another 64 senior condominiums should take shape over the next 18 months.In a way, this is the second time Danvers State Hospital has risen from the ground. The push to redevelop 77 acres of the former Danvers State Hospital has meant the demolition of most of the buildings of the former insane asylum, with just one-third of the 1878 Kirkbride building remaining.

A turret on the adjacent Kirkbride building, which caught fire last year, has been replaced using a spare turret preserved from a portion of the old building that had been torn down. Developers had not been deterred by the history of the site, an overcrowded mental hospital that became a mini city before the state closed it in 1992. Today, it has drawn empty nesters and families alike. Decades ago, some said you would have been crazy to live there, now some say you would be crazy not to. The centerpiece of the community is the 100,000-square-foot portion of the red-brick Kirkbride building. It has an outdoor swimming pool, a recreation room, a basketball court, a fitness club and a Wi-Fi café. Inside, only one of its 61 apartments is still available for rent. The building, with its Gothic spires and cupolas, takes its name from 19th-century physician Thomas Story Kirkbride. While developers tore down two-thirds of the Kirkbride, they reconstructed the main tower over the front entrance that had been missing for years.

Rents in the Kirkbride building range from $1,300 to $1,700 for a one-bedroom apartment to $1,575 to $2,400 for a two-bedroom apartment. Some high-end units have cherry wood kitchen cabinets and granite countertops.Dale said the Kirkbride building, once the hospital's administration building, now also serves as the administration building for the complex. It's a place to gather and play basketball or a game of pool. Even the modern buildings surrounding the Kirkbride building take their visual cues from its Gothic architecture with red brick trim and sharp gabled dormers. Building heights on the perimeter of the development were kept low to preserve a view of the remains of the Kirkbride building. "I think the Kirkbride building is much more visible today than it was 10 years ago," Dale said.

Rents in the Kirkbride building range from $1,300 to $1,700 for a one-bedroom apartment to $1,575 to $2,400 for a two-bedroom apartment. Some high-end units have cherry wood kitchen cabinets and granite countertops. Dale said the Kirkbride building, once the hospital's administration building, now also serves as the administration building for the complex. It's a place to gather and play basketball or a game of pool.

Even the modern buildings surrounding the Kirkbride building take their visual cues from its Gothic architecture with red brick trim and sharp gabled dormers. Building heights on the perimeter of the development were kept low to preserve a view of the remains of the Kirkbride building. "I think the Kirkbride building is much more visible today than it was 10 years ago," Dale said.

The apartment complex is not the only project ongoing on the hill. There are 64 condominiums, to be called Aria, being developed by OHC Development, in which AvalonBay has a financial stake. Susan Piracini, Aria's sales director, said it will be another 18 months before the condominiums are built out. Ten are already under contract. "It's definitely a different product than a lot of the active adult communities out on the market now," Piracini said. Those who buy condominiums, which all sport two-car garages, also have access to amenities in the Avalon Danvers apartment complex like the swimming pool. The condos cost $395,000 to $640,000.

Despite efforts to preserve a portion of the Kirkbride building, some say the demolition at the old hospital went too far. Most of the buildings on the site were torn down. Demolition on the south side of the hospital opened up a view of Boston, Dale said.Town Archivist Dick Trask said Danvers State Hospital used to be one of the finest examples of Gothic Revival architecture "on he Eastern Seaboard."

He last toured the Kirkbride building three years ago, and while he found it in rough shape, he said more of it and other buildingsshould have been preserved, such as an 1870s garage with a mansard roof that was also torn down."They never conceded one item of preservation," Trask said. "They stuck to their original plan."He likens the preservation of the remaining portion of the Kirkbride building to "a mounted deer head."Dale said it was not easy to satisfy everyone with a stake in the hospital's future while making the project economically viable. "We had to search for that common ground from everyone who was involved," Dale said, "and I think we have done a good job in satisfying the different stakeholders."

By Ethan Forman Salem News

The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner has identified the body of the man found in a Danvers field on Oct. 9, 2007, as that of Jose Rivera, 54, whose last known address was 141 May Street in Lawrence. The identification was made through skeletal x-rays by Dr. Ann Marie Mires and Dr. Kimberly Springer.

Rivera's body was found in a farmer¹s field off Route 62 on the grounds of the former Danvers State Hospital. Rivera had gone to CAB Health & Recovery Services near where his body was found on Aug. 11, and had left the facility the next day.

Foul play is suspected in his death.

Investigators are still trying to locate Rivera¹s next of kin. Anyone with information is asked to contact Danvers police Detective Sgt. William Carleton at 978-774-1388, ext. 3, or State Police assigned to the Office of Essex District Attorney Jonathan W. Blodgett at 978-745-8908.

A Middleton farmer found a decomposing body Tuesday afternoon on the state owned field he farms across the line in Danvers at the former Danvers State Hospital.

Paul Richardson, of Richardson’s Dairy in Middleton, said he and an employee had been on a tractor surveying the field for fall planting when they spotted what appeared to be a dead body.

“It was a pretty well decomposed body,” Richardson said Wednesday morning. He speculated that it might have been a child, judging by the shoe size.

Richardson called Danvers police, who dispatched Officer Ashley Berube at about 2:30 p.m. She immediately secured the scene, said Sgt. Robert Bettencourt. Danvers Detective William Carlton and Sgt. Timothy Zuch also responded.

State Police were called, as they are for any unattended death, said Karen Dawley of the Essex County District Attorney’s Office. The state police spent about two or three hours before removing the body to the state medical examiner’s office in Boston, she said.

An autopsy will be conducted to determine cause of death, whether there was any foul play and, possibly, who the person was.

If there's anything positive to come out of the demolition of DSH, I suppose the reconstruction of the upper portion of the original central tower is one. It's not an exact replica but a good attempt and it's better than not having anything up there at all. The sides were rebuilt a couple of weeks ago and the roof was added on Friday July 6, 2007

John Gray

A four-alarm fire at the former Danvers State Hospital destroyed seven buildings and shut Route 1 down temporarily early this morning.The buildings, currently undergoing renovations, were empty. The facility is being renovated into apartment buildings and condominiums. State police also briefly evacuated 20 people living in neighboring, already-completed buildings as a precaution. Six firefighters were treated for minor injuries. The fire, which began around 2 a.m., took several hours to bring under control. AvalonBay Communities Inc. is handling the renovations. The plan is to build 433 luxury rental units and 64 condominiums on the site's 77 acres, the Globe reported in February.

The project is also to include amenities like an indoor sports court and a cyber cafe, a far cry from the building's dreary past. The hospital, abandoned since 1992 in response to accusations of overcrowding, abuse, and neglect, was primarily used to treat "spiritual maladies."

After being closed, the hospital quickly became a hot spot for thrill-seeking ghost hunters who believed the grounds to be filled with troubled spirits. The high level of curiosity and trespassing forced to the state to employ 24-hour security guards for a time. The 2001 film "Session 9," about an asbestos cleaning crew working in an abandoned mental hospital with a suspect past, was filmed at Danvers State and also brought attention to the facility. Danvers State is not the only former mental institution undergoing a facelift. There's a growing trend toward renovation of the facilities abandoned since the 1980s, when mental health care was de-institutionalized.

By Allison Mudge, Boston Globe

The Male Nurses Home and St. Lukes Chapel were destroyed.The Male Nurses Home (1927) and St. Lukes Chapel (1964) were recently destroyed. Exact date unknown.

1-30-06 Our Lady of the Hill Chapel was demolished.

2-1-06 Female Nurses Home was demolished.

2-10-06 Kirkbride J ward annex was demolished.

2-16-06 The Bonner Medical Building was demolished.

2-23-06 Kirkbride J Ward demolished. J Ward which was part of the original Kirkbride structure (1878) has been demolished. Also demolished was the 1906 Male Tuberculosis Cottage (later used as the Music Cottage) along with the 1927 Mechanics Garage.

3-10-06 Kirkbride I Ward demolsihed. I Ward which was part of the original Kirkbride structure (1878) has been demolished. Also demolished was the 1912 Laundry Building.

3-26-06 Kirkbride H Ward demolished. H Ward which was part of the original Kirkbride structure (1878) has been demolished. Also demolished was the 1954 Hydro Unit that extended off of I ward. This completes the Male side demolition as Avalon Bay intends to save G Ward.

4-14-06 Kirkbride A Ward demolished. Demolition has begun on the Female side. A Ward which was part of the original Kirkbride structure (1878) has been demolished. Also demolished was the 1897 A-Annex located beside it.

4-18-06 Gray Gables and Kirkbride B Ward demolished. The historic 1898 Gray Gables Building along with Kirkbride B Ward were demolished today. The Gray Gables was a unique building as it was the first free standing residential structure built post Kirkbride. It was used as a residential facility for nurses in the early years and towards the later years, it housed hospital staff that were married. This leaves a handful of buildings left and demolition will be complete on the highlands.

4-28-06 Gymnasium and Kitchen demolished.

The 1932 Kirkbride gymnasium and kitchen additions were demolished. Completion of the demolition process is only a couple weeks away.

5-18-06 Female Tuberculosis Cottage & Surgical Unit demolished. The 1903 Surgical Unit that once extended off of A ward is demolished along with the 1907 Female Tuberculosis cottage (later used as the arts and crafts cottage). This now just leaves C Ward and the water tower and demolition will be completed on the highlands.

6-14-06 Kirkbride C Ward demolished.

The last brick structure was destroyed leaving only the water tower to be demolished. The water tower will come down as soon as the new cellular tower is built to replace it. The new tower will be located off site and not on the property. Avalon Bay is predicting that rentals will start as soon as Fall 2006.

Backhoe loaders, self propelled lifts, generators, dump trucks and other construction equipment now occupy the Danvers State Hospital highlands. Traffic up and down the main entrance is as frequent as the traffic on the nearby Route 62. The parking spaces that were once reserved for doctors, nurses and visitors and now filled with automobiles that belong to construction companies and their workers. The red plywood boards that covered the windows for years are being removed letting in sunlight that the hospital hasn't seen in ages. Abatement removal is underway and dramatic changes are happening to the buildings daily as the demolition stage approaches rapidly.

The state sold Danvers State Hospital to the Virginia-based developer yesterday in a deal worth $12 million, sealing 22 years of discussions over the fate of the 77-acre abandoned asylum property.

AvalonBay plans to build 497 apartments and condominiums on the site and demolish most of the Kirkbride building, a Victorian Gothic-style, eight-winged fortress stretching for a quarter-mile that has lured artists and ghost hunters since it closed in 1992.

Officials yesterday touted the economic benefits of the deal. The state will receive $3.2 million of the sale money to build affordable housing for Department of Mental Health clients. About $6 million will go into the state's general fund.

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Danvers will receive about $2 million, which will be set aside for education, historic preservation and affordable housing. The town will also see a boost of about $1 million in annual property tax revenues. And 70 units will be added to the town's affordable housing stock.

"It's good news because it puts to positive use a number of acres of property that has fallen into disrepair due to lack of use," Town Manager Wayne Marquis said. "I look forward to making it a very high-quality project and one we can all be proud of."

But the sale has faced sharp criticism from a group of local preservationists who have spent more than $25,000 trying to stop it.

Danvers resident John Archer, one of the most vocal critics of the project, said officials missed a perfect opportunity to restore a structure with rich history and fascinating architecture.

"This is an abysmal moment in North Shore history," Archer said. "To celebrate that building and bring it back to life would have been one of the greatest things. It would have put Danvers on the map.

"They should be ashamed of themselves," he said of the project's stakeholders. "Their lack of insight is pathetic. It's devastating to our history." Preservationists stalled the sale for two months by challenging it in court, but both times a judge eventually allowed the transaction to proceed. Archer admitted that his group is running out of options. "We have nothing else at this point to say," Archer said. "I wish I had some hope." AvalonBay Vice President Scott Dale could not be reached for comment yesterday. The Kirkbride, which once served more than 2,000 hospital patients, will soon house 61 apartments and a function room. Crews will add a lounge, fitness center and indoor basketball court to the rear of the structure.

As part of the deal, AvalonBay agreed to create a permanent memorial honoring the legacy of former hospital patients and staff and maintain a cemetery just below the summit of Hathorne Hill. The developer can start knocking down parts of the Kirkbride and 39 other buildings as soon as it receives a demolition permit from the town. Building Inspector Peter Bryson said the town must act within 30 days after receiving AvalonBay's application. Because of the weakened condition of the Kirkbride, the portion of the building that will be retained will first have to be shored up before the wings can be dismantled, he said.

"It's not as simple as tearing down a shed. ... There may be portions where they can literally push it over," Bryson said. "There may be portions that will require a more delicate procedure." Bryson said he expects AvalonBay to begin demolition quickly.

"Obviously, the sooner they go forward and the sooner they generate income off the piece of property, the more successful they are," he said. The developers hope to start construction in early 2006 and wrap up by February 2008, according to a news release issued last night.

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Housing development corporation Avalon Bay Communities, Inc., took ownership of the Danvers State Hospital yesterday for $18.4 million, according to Avalon Bay spokesman Scott Dale. The official closing on the deal comes 14 years after the state announced it was closing Danvers State and other state-owned institutions for the care of those with mental illness. The 75-acre site is known for its signature structure, the neo-Gothic building designed by Thomas Kirkbride.

Legal challenges by local preservationists to save the Kirkbride from the wrecking ball were unsuccessful. A judge in recent weeks rejected claims by the Danvers Preservation Fund, Inc. that the Danvers Preservation Commission was unclear about a crucial vote it took year ago which proved fatal to the effort to preserve the structure.

With the legal challenges cleared, Avalon Bay Inc. needed only to take title in order to proceed with their plans to erect more than 400 units of housing on the site, which contains numerous buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Spokesman Scott Dale said security fencing will be erected as soon as their contractor can get on site, once demolition permits are approved.

By Sally Kerans Salem News

The attorney for the Danvers Preservation Fund, Inc. will return to court next week to seek another delay of the sale of the Danvers State Hospital property, this time focusing on the role of Danvers officials and its Preservation Commission in the process. Judge Howard Whitehead denied a request for a preliminary injunction sought by The Danvers Preservation Fund, Inc. on Nov. 8. A memorandum outlining the reasons for the denial has not been issued, the court said. Attorney James Gilbert said his clients will appear in Salem Superior Court on Monday, Nov. 21, at 2 p.m. The town of Danvers will be there, too. Gilbert and his clients contend that both state agencies and the town failed to give due attention to the historic value of many of the buildings on the Danvers State Hospital property. They contend that the Danvers Preservation Commission didn't have the authority to act on an application for permission to demolish the buildings because it was submitted by Avalon Bay Communities, the developer, which wasn't the rightful owner of the property. Furthermore, some involved say that when the commission acted on the application by Avalon Bay Communities in 2003, members were confused about the action they were taking and how it would affect the structures on the property, including those listed on the National Register of Historic Places. "It got very complicated and some members didn't even know what they were voting on, and instead of declaring they didn't have authority to rule, they declared it (the property) wasn't significant," said Richard Trask, the town archivist, who is not a member of the Preservation Commission. Danvers Preservation Fund, Inc. attorney James Gilbert said this week that all that followed from that action should be moot because the town violated its own demolition by-law. "Like everything else with the state hospital, this is a very Byzantine process," said Trask. To date, a demolition permit has not been issued. The closing on the sale of the former Danvers State Hospital property to Avalon Bay Communities was originally scheduled for Oct. 21.

By Sally Kerans Salem News

Yesterday, a Superior Court judge paved the way for the town to issue a demolition permit to AvalonBay, which plans to tear down most of the 130-year-old former insane asylum to build apartments and condominiums.

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A group of local preservationists, the Danvers Preservation Fund Inc. tried to block the demolition, saying the developers failed to follow local regulations when they sought building approval.The judge's decision appears to clear the last hurdle in AvalonBay's attempts to buy the property for about $20 million and build 419 apartments and 64 condominiums there. About two-thirds of the Victorian Gothic-style Kirkbride building, the site's main attraction, would be demolished.

"Big business once again wins out over preservation," said John Archer, the project's loudest critic. "The enormous material waste will be amazing." Attorney James Gilbert, representing the preservationists, said his clients will meet in a few days to discuss what their next move, if any, will be. Meanwhile, town attorney Michael Lehane said he was pleased with the decision and maintained that continuing to delay the project would further jeopardize the portion of the Kirkbride that AvalonBay plans to preserve. "This process has been going on long before the hospital closed," Lehane said. "There comes a point where the process has to come to a conclusion."

AvalonBay Vice President Scott Dale said he believes the judge made the right decision and said the land transaction from the state to AvalonBay would take place in a matter of "weeks to days."

"I'm confident we can move forward on the process that everyone's already worked so hard on," Dale said.

During a hearing in Salem Superior Court yesterday, Gilbert argued that town officials inappropriately interfered in the work of the local historic preservation commission. That body, which could have delayed demolition, never ruled that the 40 buildings on the state hospital land were worth saving.

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Gilbert charged that preservation commission members didn't understand the issues they were voting on and were "hoodwinked" by officials from AvalonBay.

"You had a bunch of very confused people who only wanted to do the right thing. ... They were under enormous pressure because of the millions of dollars at stake."

Archer, who has vehemently railed against AvalonBay's plans, voted against preserving the property because he was confused on the vote, Gilbert said.

"The system failed in about six different ways," Gilbert said. "Because of that, we're going to watch as buildings on the National Register (of Historic Places) get demolished, and that's just wrong."

But Lehane fired back, attacking Gilbert's theory that the decision was born out of confusion.

"If your case is that you're clients are stupid and can't understand English, then that's a slim reed to rely on," he said.

Lehane said it was the fourth time the preservationists have sought a judge's intervention.

The shuttered mental hospital has attracted artists, historians and ghost hunters fascinated with the architecture and design of the quarter-mile-wide Kirkbride. "Urban explorers," an underground culture of thrill-seekers, have risked arrest by slipping onto the site at night and photographing the building.

AvalonBay attorney Kevin O'Flaherty said both the town and commonwealth stand to gain if the purchase goes through.

"We have a handful of people that think they know better than everyone else," O'Flaherty said. "They don't represent the public's best interest."

By Chris Cassidy Salem News

A judge has denied the Danvers Preservation Fund Inc.'s request for injunctive relief in connection with the sale of the former Danvers State Hospital. A spokesman for Salem Superior Court Judge Howard Whitehead said yesterday the motion was denied and gave no other details, saying a memorandum would follow. Danvers Preservation Fund Inc. is seeking to re-open the process which, if not stopped, will lead to the demolition of historic buildings on the former Danvers State Hospital and of two-thirds of the signature Kirkbride building. Avalon Bay Communites had been scheduled to purchase the property in late October from the state. The developer was then expected to begin demolition at the site as it began building 460 odd residential apartments and condominiums. The preservationists filed their suit against the Secretary of State as the head of the Massachusetts Historical Commission as well as the town of Danvers and the state Division of Capital Asset Management. They alleged the state and town had failed to consider the historic value of this site which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Now that the judge has ruled against them, Jim Gilbert, the attorney for the preservation group, said his clients will go to court again next week, this time challenging the town of Danvers' issuance of a demolition permit, which the group contends was unlawfully granted. "The town violated its own by-law," said Gilbert, referring to the town's historic demolition by-law. The group succeeded in delaying the scheduled closing on the sale of the property. Avalon Bay was chosen to develop the site through a process involving the state and the town. "We've had 22 years of process on this," said Town Manager Wayne Marquis at a recent meeting of the Board of Selectmen. But Gilbert says his clients weren't included.

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"Twenty-two years of flawed process isn't process," said Gilbert. At issue in the lawsuit brought by Gilbert for Danvers Preservation Fund, Inc. is whether state agencies took historic value into proper account during the process. They say a public hearing on the adverse effect of tearing down the Kirkbride never happened, as required by law.

By Sally Kerans Salem News

A 16-year-old boy was arrested and charged with driving without a license, trespassing and driving an unregistered motor vehicle after police investigated a trespassing complaint at the shuddered Danvers State Hospital property. State, along with Danvers police, intercepted a group of approximately 15 youths, before they went onto the property around 10:40 p.m.

The attorney for Danvers Preservation Fund, Inc. won a temporary restraining order Wednesday morning halting the sale of the former Danvers State Hospital to Avalon Bay, a developer of apartment complexes. Salem Superior Court judge Howard Whitehead yesterday granted a temporary restraining order sought by Danvers Preservation, Inc., which prohibits the sale or transfer of the property at least until Wednesday, Oct. 26, said attorney Jim Gilbert, attorney for the group challenging the legality of the process leading to the sale of the former Danvers State Hospital. The sale had been scheduled for tomorrow, Oct. 21. The multi-acre site in the Hathorne section of Danvers contains 40 buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places, in particular, the eight-winged Kirkbride building at the summit of the hill. The suit names the Commonwealth of Massachusetts' Division of Capital Asset Management, Massachusetts Historical Commission and its chairman, Secretary of State William Galvin, and the Town of Danvers. It alleges that laws protecting historic structures were ignored in the decade-long process of disposition of the property. Gilbert said Judge Whitehead ordered all parties back in court next Wednesday, Oct. 26.

"At least we got over the first hurdle," said Gilbert.

By Sally Kerans Salem News

The Danvers Preservation Fund Inc. will file suit in Essex Superior Court as early as tomorrow in hopes of delaying the scheduled Oct. 21 sale of the Danvers State Hospital to developer Avalon Bay, their attorney said yesterday. "We're definitely going forward," said Jim Gilbert, attorney for the non-profit group which has hired Gilbert to press their case against the state agencies charged with safeguarding the historic buildings on the site of the former Danvers Insane Asylum. The Danvers Preservation Fund Inc. last week asked the Division of Capital Asset Management (DCAM) to impose a voluntary delay of the sale in order to review the process. This week, DCAM told Gilbert they saw no reason to postpone the Oct. 21 closing date. Gilbert said it was a typical response from a government agency that has no interest in working with historic preservationists. Gilbert and his clients contend that Massachusetts Historical Commission failed to carry out its duties as the historic preservation guardian of the state's important historic assets. Specifically, the agency failed to follow statutory requirements for public input in determining that demolition of the buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places would have an adverse effect. That charge was disputed by Secretary of State William Galvin's office. "Of all of the parties that were involved, my greatest disappointment was with the MHC," said Richard Trask, who is not a member of the Danvers Preservation Fund Inc. but has made a financial contribution to the fund. Trask is the Town of Danvers Archivist and is careful to separate his official duties from his personal historic advocacy. "When they're talking about taking a national historic area of 40 buildings, destroying 39 of them, and then destroying two thirds of the 40th, including not keeping the roof and the first 20 courses of bricks, then if that's historic preservation, I'm in the wrong business," said Trask. Trask said he was not aware of a single time anyone local was asked by Massachusetts Historical Commission for input or comment on Danvers State Hospital. The hospital was closed in 1992. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. A multi-year process resulted in rezoning the property for residential development on top of Hathorne Hill, where the Kirkbride building, chapel, and other buildings are located, and commercial development at the bottom. The developer finally chosen for the project is Avalon Bay Communities. Demolition of buildings would occur in the first phase of the development. Trask says interest in Danvers State among people who contact the Archives has surpassed geneology over the past year. The witchcraft hysteria and subsequent executions is still the top topic of interest.

By Sally Kerans Salem News

Amateur ghost hunter Matthew X said he heard swirling noises and faint screams on the grounds of Danvers State Hospital as he was investigating claims the old asylum is haunted.

Then he heard his Miranda rights.

Matthew X , 33, and two friends were charged over the weekend with trespassing on the grounds.

Matthew said he and his friends never noticed any "no trespassing" signs when they took a back road to reach the deserted site of the 127-year-old state psychiatric hospital.

They were there to make a videotape to send to the Atlantic Paranormal Society, which investigates haunted sites for the Sci-Fi Channel's "Ghost Hunters."

Danvers is haunted by paranormal enthusiasts, if not by ghosts. Since the hospital closed in 1991, scores have visited the Victorian Gothic building. At least 20 unauthorized visitors have been arrested this year alone.

Matthew, a computer technician, said he and his friends never entered the building, but did experience strange sensations on the grounds that he described as "major discomfort."

"Basically, when we were up there, we got the presence," he said. "We felt the energy."

State police arrested Matthew along with Ross X, 34, of West Peabody and Matt X, 24, of Salem, Mass., on Saturday about 6:30 p.m.

State police could not provide records on the number of trespassing arrests they have made at the site. But Danvers police said they have arrested 17 people for trespassing at the hospital this year.

Sgt. Robert Bettencourt said the site's popularity was fueled by Internet rumors and the 2001 release of "Session 9," a film about a haunted hospital that was shot at the site. The film's star, David Caruso, has said he saw something unexplainable pass by a hospital window during the shoot. He called Danvers "the scariest building in America."

"This has been going on for a few years now," Bettencourt said of the uninvited visitors. "Danvers people knew about the place all along, but that movie and the Internet got the word out there."

Matthew said he and his friends often visit sites that are suspected of hosting paranormal activity. He said they undertake their visits with a "critical" atitude, never assuming they will encounter anything unusual.

However, Danvers State Hospital had an undeniable level of activity.

Matthew said he heard faint screaming. Gordon said a leafless tree was another sign of the supernatural.

"In the middle of the courtyard, there was one tree that looked dead, but it wasn't," Gordon said. "And all the other trees were in full bloom."

The men said they are scheduled to be arraigned tomorrow in Salem (Mass.) District Court.

The hospital property is owned by the state and is open for tours once a month.

AvalonBay, a development company, is buying the property for $20 million with plans to build apartments.

State police arrested three self-styled ghost hunters — who were armed with a video camera — inside Danvers State Hospital Saturday night.

Police charged the videotaping trio with trespassing. Charged were: Matthew X, 33, of 770 Martin St., North Andover; Ross X 34, of 3604 Woodbridge St., West Peabody; and Matthew X, 24, of 3 Granite St., Salem.

The men told police they had seen the building in a horror film, said Sgt. Robert Favuzza.

"Can you imagine that?" Favuzza said. "They didn't have anything better to do on a Saturday night."

The men were arrested in the Bonner Building by Trooper Scott Grimes, Favuzza said.

Parts of the old state psychiatric hospital were built in the Victorian Gothic style complete with spires and towers, and has remained a curiosity for ghost hunters, artists and others.. The Bonner Building, built in 1955, appeared in the 2001 horror film "Session 9," starring David Caruso. According to IMDB.com, the actor said he saw something unexplained pass by his window during the filming of the movie.

Interest in the hospital has increased as plans for its demolition are finalized. The property development company AvalonBay is in the process of buying the property for $20 million and plans to build apartments on the property

Four local teens who police say wanted to check out the shuttered Danvers State Hospital property were arrested late Saturday night and charged with trespassing. Police believe as many as six teens were trespassing on the property, but two ran off into the woods when a patrolman pulled in just before 11pm, said Sgt. Robert Bettencourt, the department spoksman.

The teens captured said "they had heard so much about the place they wanted to see what it was like" Bettencourt said. Justin X, 18 of Middleton, Kevin X, 17 of Danvers, Michael X, 17 of Tewksbury and Francis X 18, of Reading, were all arrested by Patrolman Steve McDonald and charged with trespassing.

However, the four will be able to avoid a criminal record by participating in a young adult diversion program and community service, a prosecutor said yesterday.

Formerly a psychiatric hospital, Danvers State has been closed since 1992 and visitors are barred from the property. Security officers, paid by the state, are posted at the hospital. Local and state police routinely patrol the area as well. But trespassers on the property are a constant problem and officials continually issue warnings about the dangers the dilapidated hospital buildings pose.

"Those buildings just aren't safe" Bettencourt said. "Ceilings have collapsed and floors have given away to gaping holes. Electricity to the buildings was cut long ago. It's not safe. Someone could get in there and get hurt and we wouldn't even know"

Officials believe the main draw of the former asylum is the mystique surrounding the now boarded-up, half mile long Kirkbride building also known as the "castle on the hill"

The Kirkbride building was the hospital's flagship structure during its operation. Development company Avalon Bay is buying the 77-acre property from the state and transforming it into a multimillion-dollar housing development. The company is finalizing traffic plans with the state before it shells out roughly $18 million for the property.

Michael Carey used to drive down Route 1 with his parents and look up at Danvers State Hospital. “I was always fascinated by it,” he said Wednesday morning of the Kirkbride Building that looms tall on Hathorne Hill, impressing those who pass under it and engendering questions about its history. “I think its an amazing old building.” He’s not alone, something he found out when he started an online petition to save the Kirkbride. This 37-years-old adult who has a responsible job in a bank is also an artist, he said, with an inclination toward cartooning. But, he just couldn’t let the building be even partially demolished without trying to win support for saving it in its entirety.

He started the petition, found at www.petitiononline.com/dssehl/petition, in 2001. As of Wednesday morning, there were at 4,130 signatures.

“I’ve been really amazed by the number of signatures,” Carey said. They include people from 49 states and 26 nations.

The petition states:

“The Kirkbride building of Danvers State Hospital is in danger of being destroyed. Located in Danvers, the Kirkbride building was built in the 1870s and was in use until the 1980s. The beautifully gothic building is on the National Register of Historic Places. It was featured in the film, ‘Session 9.’

“Years of neglect have taken their toll on the structure. Now, several interested parties are pushing to demolish all but a token section of the building in order to capitalize on the valuable land on which the building currently stands.

“The professionals called in by the town historians feel that at least the outside of the building is capable of being saved. The professionals hired by the developer claim that most of the building is beyond repair. Lend your support to this petition, and show that you believe that this unique and beautiful piece of history is worth saving.”

Some of the signatories include the following comments:

“We should not destroy our history.”

“In Europe, places that are historical like that are taken care of. We should do the same.”

“History should be experienced, not just read about in books that describe what used to be.”

“A building of this magnitude should be preserved out of respect to the past. If not, at least turn it into a hotel so I can spend a night there.”

“I want to buy it.”

Historic Danvers, Inc. is a newly formed non-profit organization established for the purposes of aiding the preservation of the town’s history and the town’s historical assets primarily by fostering the education of the public about:

(a) The history of the town of Danvers and the historic assets associated with such history;

(b) The importance of preserving such historic assets; and

(c) The preservation needs of, and, threats to, such historic assets.

Sadly, and slowly, the town is losing the historic structures, streetscapes and landscapes that are the very fabric of the town and make Danvers so unique and different from Anytown, USA.

And, Historic Danvers announces its first Endangered List.

Endangered

#1 Kirkbride building, Danvers State Hospital

At the time of the disbanding of the Citizens Advisory Committee, the Commonwealth, upon the recommendation of the Citizens Advisory Board had selected the national, $5 billion Archstone Communities, based in Colorado, as developer of the Danvers State Hospital site.

In its submission to the state, Archstone had committed to the preservation of the entire exterior of the monumental Kirkbride building that stretches a quarter of a mile and, at the time of its building in the early 1870s, the most expensive and lavish edifice ever built by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

The commitment to preserve the entire exterior of the Kirkbride’s exterior was in keeping with the recommendation of the two town study committees and in keeping with the intent of the Town Meeting in changing the zoning of the State Hospital site.

Archstone later withdrew as developer. Without any further public input, the Commonwealth then chose AvalonBay, a $5 billion, nationwide builder, based in Virginia, as developer -- although AvalonBay’s proposal commits to saving only approximately one-third of the Kirkbride.

It should be noted that since the time the Commonwealth stopped using the Kirkbride building, although a $5 million fund for maintaining and marketing the building and site was part of the legislation authorizing the sale of the State Hospital, the Commonwealth failed to take any steps to maintain the Kirkbride’s roof and, only after a number of years, even bothered to board up the Kirkbride’s windows.Despite such inexcusable neglect, the Kirkbride still stands with practically all its roof intact. AvalonBay is expected to take title in and begin demolition in September. The Kirkbride is continually endangered by the state’s neglect to secure the building, especially its roof.The Kirkbride may be endangered in the future where it appears that AvalonBay’s construction expertise is primarily in new construction and not in restoration of historic buildings.2. The national register district comprising the Danvers State Hospital The Kirkbride building is only one of the 40 buildings listed on the National Register that taken together comprise one of the few National Register Districts in eastern Massachusetts. In addition to demolishing two-thirds of the Kirkbride, there are now no impediments to AvalonBay demolishing these other 39 buildings, some dating to the 1870s, and the expectation is that AvalonBay will demolish practically all, if not all, of these 39 buildings.

After two long years of negotiations, the Planning Board Tuesday night approved a special permit for development of the highlands at the former Danvers State Hospital, adding four condominiums to prior plans in exchange for the development of one lacrosse field.

The exact location of the field is still to be determined by the Recreation Department and town Planning Department.

Avalon Bay Communities will build 483 residential units, including 419 apartments and 64 condominiums, rather than 60 condos for the 55-plus age group. Density at the site will not change since the 6,000 or so extra square feet needed for these condos will be lopped off the approved 125,000 square feet for development on the lowlands. As previously discussed, the developer will give $1 million to the town for an education trust fund; $t00,000 to the town for historic preservation; and $500,000 to the town for affordable housing, Belansky said Wednesday morning.

The Planning Board certificate mirrors the Land Disposition Agreement signed by the state, which owns the land, Belansky said. The town will now have to enter a separate agreement with the state regarding the trust funds, since the state "has some sort of oversight of the administration of the (trust) funds," Belansky said.

The LDA also included a "recreation component" for the town, Belansky said, which was why ball fields became a topic of conversation.

According to Town Manager Wayne Marquis in a separate interview, the old ball field at the lowlands would not be large enough or meet modern requirements. Therefore, an off site location is needed. The Thorpe School has been mentioned as a possible site, as well as other areas, Marquis said.

Because the area could accommodate two fields, the town decided to find out how much they would cost, said Recreation Director David Mountain separately, and received an estimate of $705,000. But, that included prevailing wage requirements under bidding laws and other constrictions that the town would have to abide by, said Planning Department Director Karen Nelson separately.

We met with the Recreation Committee and planning staff this afternoon, and have come up with a pretty creative plan," Dale told the Planning Board members. "We have come up with a mutually acceptable proposal."

Avalon Bay will provide their construction crew services, or the equivalent cost to them of $300,000, to build one field."We and the Recreation Department are very pleased," Mountain said about the commitment.

To offset the costs for this proposal, Dale detailed plans to add four, two-bedroom units to the existing condominium housing plan by converting four proposed duplex units to triplex units.

"We can add another four units without any significant site impact," Dale said.

Additional revenue from the sale of these units will provide the funding for the new field.

Several permit wording details were raised by the board. Among them was a concern raised by board member Jim Sears regarding Avalon Bay's ability to change its design plans during the project and construct more for sale units than originally agreed.

Planning Board Chairman Ronald Baser asserted that Avalon Bay would have to come back before the board for approval on any site changes. Board member Joseph Younger questioned public access hours to the memorial cemetery and the memorial on the site. Dale agreed to extend hours during the months of May through September from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Dale and Avalon Bay's attorney, Steven Schwartz of Goulston & Storrs, reiterated their commitment to the town in the review and development of the lowlands.

Additionally, the board and the developer agreed that an on-site recreational facility would be considered by the developer. Town Manager Wayne Marquis talked about needing language to create the walking/bike trail that has been talked about in the past. Such a trail would encircle the 500 or so acres of the whole property, which would link to the Horace Clark Conservation area, perhaps connect with trails near Swingaway on Route 1, over towards the town's canoe launch off Dayton Street and as close to the Ipswich River as possible.

But, that language will have to wait until the developer appears before the town for approval of plans to develop the lowlands, said Belansky separately.

According to Dale, Avalon Bay has signed the purchase and sale agreement with the state and is scheduled to pass papers some time in September 2005.Groundbreaking at the site will begin shortly thereafter he said.

Danvers-An Agreement reached this week between the Danvers Planning Board and developers of the Danvers State Hospital property will provide the town with $300,000 for much-needed playing fields."It's welcomed and very generous," said Elizabeth Klemm, a member of the Recreation Committee. "I think this will help add fields, because right now we're maxed out." Development giant AvalonBay Communities had long promised to offset the negative impacts of hundreds of apartments and condos it plans to build on Hathorne Hill--increased traffic, drains on police and fire services, etc.--with a generous donation to the town. Some of the donations cemented in this week's deal, including $1 million for local schools, $500,000 for historic preservation and $500,000 to help build low-income housing, have long been expected. But the $300,000 to develop recreational fields is a new element, reached in negotiations with the town Recreation Committee within the last week. The unexpected windfall comes at a critical time, Klemm said. Just last month, the Danvers youth lacrosse and soccer leagues donated nearly $8,000 to study the possibility of constructing sorely needed fields behind the Thorpe Elementary School. The donation comes, in part, in return for the Planning Board not pressing Avalon on playing fields that had been hoed for in the "lowlands" section of the 77-acre Danvers State Hospital Property. Planning Board member James Sears said those hopes haven't been completely abandoned, just pushed off. Avalon wanted to secure final approval for construction of condos and apartments in the uplands first and will return for permission to build commercial space in the lowlands at some undetermined point, he said."As far as the neighborhood park, we could try to get them to agree to that in the future," Sears said.

Two Boston area men were arrested Saturday at 8 p.m. for trespassing on Danvers State Hospital property, which is closed to the public. Jonathan X 22, of Chelsea, and Jorge X, 24, of East Boston, were arrested and charged with trespassing and illegal possession of burglarious instruments. One man was also charged with providing a false name to a police officer.

Police arrested nine people this weekend after they were found on the grounds of the shuttered Danvers State Hospital, a popular site for "urban explorers" hunting for a good scare or trespassing tourists hoping to admire the 19th-century Gothic architecture. And the arrests have prompted police to warn potential visitors of dangers of the crumbling old hospital at the junction of routes 1 and 62, which could cave in at any time. "It's just a matter of time before somebody gets hurt," Danvers police Sgt. Paul Stone said. Around 11pm Sunday Danvers Patrolman Scott Frost was sent to the state-owned former psychiatric hospital to investigate a call for "suspicious persons." Sunday night Frost arrested 4 people ages 18 to 22 and charged them all each with trespassing.

Saturday night Patrolman Robert Sullivan arrested 5 people ages 18 to 20 and charged them with a variety of charges ranging from trespassing to breaking and entering in the nighttime with the intent to commit a felony. Stone said some of five arrested were found scaling the roof of the Kirkbride building when police arrived. They were carrying video equipment and lights to capture their adventure on film, police said. The Danvers Fire Department sent a ladder truck to aid police in looking in the windows and on the roof for trespassers.

Danvers State Hospital which has been without electricity since it closed in 1992, has fallen into a dangerous site of disrepair, town officials say.Ceilings have collapsed, floors have given way to gaping holes and at least two fires have erupted there since last fall. Police and firefighters have been advised not to enter the building.

Two security guards monitor the site 24 hours a day in an attempt to keep out intruders. However, dozens of visitors sneak onto the sprawling 130 year old, 77-acre campus each year despite countless "No Trespassing" signs dotting the property. Stone said some go to great lengths to avoid capture by parking their cars miles away and trudging through the woods. But neither police nor town officials can say what lures people to explore the grounds. "It's an obsession," Stone said, adding that warm weather brings more trespassers. Most of the visitors are so called "urban explorers" groups who illegally tour mysterious, abandoned and deteriorating buildings across the country and post pictures of them on the Internet.The main draw of the former asylum is the once-majestic, now boarded up Kirkbride building also known as "the castle on the hill." The Kirkbride- an imposing, half mile-long tower of brick and spires- was the hospital's flagship structure during its operation.

Keeping trespassers away from Danvers State Hospital is nothing new to the state and local police. Back in February, state police summonsed eight people, ages 15 to 22, and charged them all with trespassing after they were found there. And last November, three Malden teens were arrested by Danvers police after they were caught at the hospital. Those three said they had recently watched "Session 9" a horror movie filmed in part at the site, which piqued their curiosity.Whatever the draw, Stone said Danvers and state police will continue to patrol the property and prosecute trespassers. "If they're on that property they're going to be arrested and they're going to court and they're going to have some kind of record" he said.

Developer Avalon Bay wants to buy the old hospital from the state and transform it into a multimillion dollar housing complex. The company is still trying to acquire the proper permits before it shells out roughly $18 million for the property which is plans to purchase this year.

Five people, ages 18 to 21 were arrested at Danvers State Hospital property Saturday night. Charges range from trespassing to breaking and entering in the nighttime with the intent to commit a felony.

After responding to the second fire in five months at Danvers State Hospital, public safety officials are again raising concerns and offering a chilling premonition about the abandoned property.

"I've been saying it for 10 years, it's only a matter of time for that place," Fire Chief James Tutko said yesterday. "It's just a horrendous area. And the time is coming that we're not going to send our guys in because it'll be too dangerous."

The small campfire, discovered early Sunday morning, was confined to the first-floor auditorium of the Kirkbride Building and was extinguished in 15 minutes.

It is the second time since September firefighters have entered the dilapidated structures off Route 62: The first fire was on the third floor and started with a pile of old patient records, fire officials said.

Both fires were arson, Tutko said, and both raise major concerns.

"You only need to think about the Worcester fire (in 1999) to see what can happen with abandoned buildings," Tutko said. "And we're not going to have a Worcester-type fire here. If it's a big fire, then my men will not go in. Period."

Closed in 1992, the state hospital buildings have fallen into dangerous disrepair. Ceilings have collapsed, and floors have gaping holes — calling into question the buildings' structural integrity.

Two guards are posted on the state-owned site 24 hours a day in an attempt to keep intruders out. But with a sprawling 130-year-old facility that totals more than 300,000 square feet across 77 acres, the job is just too large for two people, local officials said.

"I'm not sure if you increased the (number of) guards patrolling that you'd be able to stop people from getting in there," Tutko said. "It's a huge site and if people want to get in and cause trouble, they're going to get in and cause trouble."

One of those guards sat at the entrance of Hathorne Avenue yesterday and declined to provide any information about the fire. He was preventing vehicle access to the site, he said.

Police Chief Neil Ouellette has forbidden any police officer from setting foot into the abandoned buildings, citing safety concerns for the officers.

"They have been instructed to not go into those buildings under any circumstances. They are not trained to respond to that kind of situation," Ouellette said.

But Danvers State continues to be a favorite site among "urban explorers." Various groups, who explore abandoned and dilapidated buildings, enjoy taking pictures and posting them on the Internet. Homeless people and drug users have also been known to use the abandoned hospital as a shelter, police said.

"It's a hard place to patrol, but we do make our presence known," said Ouellette, who noted officers drive around the paved section of the hospital several times a day. "But until those buildings are knocked down, it's going to continue to be a problem no matter how many people patrol that area."

Present and future owners respond Martha McMahon, spokeswoman for the state's Division of Capital Management — who owns the site — said changes will be made.

"In light of recent events, we are in the process of evaluating security there," McMahon said.

That was the same thing state spokesman Kevin Flanigan said five months ago. McMahon said yesterday that she did not know if security has increased since September.

Avalon Bay, a company planning to transform Danvers State into a 485-home development, is also concerned about the incidents. Avalon Bay will purchase the site for about $18 million within the next year after acquiring the proper permitting from the state and local boards.

Although he was unavailable for comment this week, Scott Dale, vice president of Avalon Bay, has said in no uncertain terms that the hospital is a hazard.

"Every day that goes by, the risk that something may happen increases," said Dale at a Planning Board meeting in November. "As soon as we take control of the building, we will have security on the premises 24-7. It is a huge liability, both the way it currently stands and through the demolition and construction phases."

Tutko said an anonymous caller who alerted firefighters of the blaze was most likely inside the building at the time of the call.

"It was someone who knew what was happening, most likely someone inside that knew what could happen," Tutko said. "Thankfully, we were able to stop it before something major happened. But make no mistake about it, something major is going to happen. That's just a matter of time."

Firefighters went inside shuttered Danvers State Hospital again this weekend to extinguish what appeared to be a "campfire" left unattended in an auditorium on the dangerously dilapidated property. The blaze, discovered at midnight Sunday, was put out in 15 minutes and no one was injured. But Danvers Fire Capt. Douglas Conrad said he fears it's just a matter of time before firefighters encounter a major fire on the former psychiatric hospital property, a haven for fright-seekers and those hoping to admire its 19th-century gothic architecture. "It's a big sprawling area," he said. "There's no way they can stop people from getting in there." The fire was located about 50 feet away from an entrance. Empty beer bottles, trash and graffiti surrounded the blaze at the state-owned property. "It looked just like someone was having a campfire," he said. A similar fire was discovered on the hospital property late last September. Conrad said he "definitely" thinks both blazes were "suspicious in nature," intentionally set by people trespassing on the hospital property. "If nobody was in there, there would be no fire," he said, noting electricity to the building was cut long ago. Two security guards were on the hospital property, which sits on the junction of Routes 1 and 62, but they are not allowed to enter any of the hospital buildings, Conrad said. "It was really the same as the last fire...People were inside there doing their thing, walking around," Conrad said. Officials long ago warned conditions inside the hospital property, closed in the early 1990s, are treacherous. Ceilings have collapsed and floors have gaping holes, said Conrad. Unrelated to the fire, eight people were summonsed Sunday for criminal trespassing at the property at 3:40 pm yesterday. The flagship structure on the property, the Kirkbride building, measures a half-mile long. As firefighters walked inside the hospital this weekend, they quickly discovered every surface was coated with ice. "It was like a skating rink inside. Snow gets into the building and then it freezes over," Conrad said. The area where the fire was set was on hardwood floor, buckled in many areas by water, snow and ice. The fire remains under investigation by Danvers Fire Lt. David Deluca. Developer Avalon Bay wants to buy the old hospital from the state and convert it to a multimillion-dollar housing complex, Avalon at Hathorne Hill.

The company is trying to acquire the proper permits before paying $18.1 million for the property.

Eight people, ages 15 to 22, were issued summonses for criminal trespassing after they were allegedly caught trespassing on Danvers State Hospital property at 3:40 Sunday afternoon. Formerly a psychiatric hospital, Danvers State has been closed for more than a decade, and visitors are barred from the property. Trooper Sean Reardon Investigated.

Saturday Danvers State Hospital: Philip X was arrested at 2:29 a.m. for trespassing.

Wednessday two teens were arrested on a charge of tresspassing at the Danvers State Hospital site. State and local police were called to the scene

Monday Danvers State Hospital: On-site security detained three trespassers at the closed state hospital and requested assistance from local police who gave the two males a ride back to their car, the other is under arrest.

Sunday Three teens were arrested after they illegally went onto the Danvers State Hospital property, which has been closed since the early 1990s. Eric X 19, Bryan X, 17, and Andrew X 19, were all arrested and charged with trespassing by Patrolman Scott Frost. Security officers paid by the state found the teens on the hospital property around 11 p.m. Frost said the teens said they had seen the horror movie Session 9, which was filmed in part at Danvers State, and wanted to check out the property themselves. Earlier in the evening, a mother and daughter were tossed off the property after they were walking up the driveway trying to get into the hospital, police said.

The Danvers State Hospital renovation project, slated to begin this spring, should take around 24 months to complete, developers told planning board members Tuesday night. Outlining a proposed renovation and demolition schedule, Avalon Bay Communities Vice President Scott Dale said that while the Kirkbride will remain the residential community's center and focal point, the outlying buildings will retain some of the site's architectural features as well as replicate the hospital's brick façade. "The site work is relatively straight forward," Dale said. Previously, board members had suggested the development attempt to mirror the site's current exteriors as best as possible. Suggestions included reusing bricks torn down during the project's demolition phase as well as continuing to use the intricate design-work seen on the building today. Dale said board concerns have been addressed in the development's final designs. The Kirkbride will be the development's formal front door, Architect Ed Bradford explained to the board, where the leasing office and primary communal spaces will be housed. The Kirkbride's tower will also be rebuilt on the historic building. Problems come, however, with the Kirkbride's roof which has collapsed in places and been soaked through by rain and snow in others. The building's interior will need to be entirely gutted and the roof completely taken off at one point during the demolition phase. "The insides are simply rotting into the floors of the building," Bradford said. He also had some good news: "The exterior remains in good shape and is a viable portion of the building." In time, the building's exterior will be cleaned, and the ivy which currently grows and winds its way across and around the Kirkbride will be removed. Planning Board member Joseph Younger lobbied for the development to include some type of museum or historic preservation center, suggesting that the site's existing water tower, which will be relocated elsewhere on the property during renovation, could house such a museum. While developers did not commit to a site for a museum, they did suggest one will be built as part of the site's renovation and development. The two "midrise" buildings which will be built closest to the Kirkbride and act as buffer between it and the apartments and condominiums built at the property's edges, will mimic the Kirkbride's exteriors as well as act as a visual attempt to phase into the outlying buildings. Planning Board member Kristine Cheetham said she was impressed with the proposed granite-work at the Kirkbride and would like to see this work replicated on the site's other buildings. The site's tunnels will also be filled-in during the construction project. First, any utility pipes in the tunnels will be abated, then the asbestos will be removed and finally, the tunnels will be knocked down and filled in to ensure these underground access routes are destroyed.

Younger also asked what would happen should something of importance be discovered during the development project. Already, the Mass Archives have sifted through the site and suggested that there is nothing worth preserving and archiving inside the building. The developers, however, told board members that should an unmarked burial site be discovered, by state law, the development will stop until the site is excavated. The Planning Board will next discuss the development's impact on traffic and density during a special meeting scheduled for Nov. 3 at 7 p.m.

A team of arson investigators remained at the shuttered Danvers State Hospital early this morning trying to determine who or what started a fire in the main building at the dilapidated facility.

Just before 9 p.m. yestereday a security guard reported smoke coming from the second story of the Kirkbride Building, the once majestic, but now boarded-up "castle on the hill."

Danvers fire Capt. Douglas Conrad said unless a "ghost with matches" haunts the grounds, investigators are certain someone has been inside the building recently. What they are trying to find out is whether the fire was an accident or deliberately set.

"We know someone's been in there," he said "There had to have been someone in there or there wouldn't have been a fire."

If it wasn't intentional, someone trespassing on the state-owned property may have carelessly discarded a cigarette or other burning material, Conrad said.

The Danvers State campus, at the junction of routes 1 and 62, has been without electricity since it closed in the early 1990s, but has long lured visitors looking for a good fright, or hoping to admire the 19th-century Gothic architecture.

Conrad said officials believe the fire started in a pile of old files and documents in a 10- by 20-foot hallway on the second floor of the half-mile-long, 313,000-square-foot Kirkbride Building, the flagship structure of the defunct psychiatric asylum.

While fire crews took only 5 or 10 minutes to knock down the flames, and they were contained to that hallway, Conrad said, firefighters stormed the deteriorated building with caution. Some ceilings and floors have already caved in and walls have crumbled.

The fire must have been smoldering for a while before breaking, filling the former administrative area with smoke, Conrad said.

"We were really careful," he said, adding that firefighters walked lightly and stuck mainly to perimeter areas to avoid falling through the floor.

Their caution paid off, as no one was hurt battling the blaze, Conrad said.

An official cause of the fire should be available today, Conrad said. The amount of damage caused by the fire was immaterial, he added, because the hospital will soon be torn down and the grounds converted into a multimillion-dollar housing complex.

The developer, AvalonBay, plans to buy the property from the state next month and is hoping to start demolition by early November.

Plans detailing the dramatic $75 million renovation of the former Danvers State Hospital site have been formally submitted by Avalon Bay Communities, kicking off a process that brings the development one big step closer to reality.

Avalon Bay Spokesman Scott Dale said the project, called Avalon at Hathorne Hill, will preserve approximately 100,000 square feet of the Kirkbride Building, including the main administration building and the two symmetrical wings on either side. That renovated structure will contain the development's leasing and administrative offices as well as community and recreational areas for residents. It will also contain 61 apartment units.

"It's quite an exciting plan," said Dale. "We're very glad to have brought it to this stage."

In total, the extensive plan includes 485 residence units, 60 of which will be for-sale condominiums and 425 of which will be apartments. All 60 of the condominiums will be age-restricted, meaning they can only be purchased by buyers who are 55 or older, and six of them will be classified as "affordable." Of the 425 apartments, approximately 15 percent of them will be set aside as affordable units.

"We're trying to describe this as an intergenerational, mixed-income housing community," said Dale. "The objective of the overall design is to create a campus style setting, with a variation of architectural styles. We're trying to create some variability, but have some consistency so it does look like a master-style campus."

Dale said the development will offer a broad range of amenities, including several fitness options as well as walking trails and open space.

"There are other areas on the site we could have developed but chose not to," said Dale. "For example, coming up the main entry to the top of the hill, there are areas on the side of the road where you could put buildings. We think that's an important entry way; we'd prefer to preserve it."

Town Manager Wayne Marquis praised the plan for offering age-restricted housing, which Danvers currently does not have, for bringing jobs to town and for preserving open space.

"At the end of the day, there are 350 acres (of the state hospital site) in Danvers. Most of it stays," said Marquis. "Most of it will remain as it is now: farmland." The plan has been years in the making, with the process actually beginning in the early 1980s. After the Legislature approved rezoning, a citizens advisory committee went to work. The process continued unexpectedly with AvalonBay taking over last year from a developer that backed out.

In the meantime, much of the Kirkbride suffered deterioration, which made it less easy to preserve, and despite protests from some in town, the plan saves only one-third of the massive, neo-Gothic structure.

Members of the Preservation Commission are getting ready to deal with some 40 requests from Avalon Bay Communities to demolish buildings at Danvers State Hospital, including two-thirds of the huge Kirkbride building.

There will be a public hearing Wednesday, Jan. 28, in Town Hall, after the Herald deadline. The six-month demolition delay clock does not start to tick until this hearing is complete.

However, the Preservation Commission will probably ask for a continuance of the hearing, both because of the volume of work and in order to arrange site visits.

The state and the town have been working for some 20 years to redevelop the property. There are now 75 acres available for sale and for which AvalonBay has offered $18 million. The sale will not be complete until the company receives the local permits to build 526 apartments on top of Hathorn Hill, in a series of 14 buildings shadowing one-third of the Kirkbride, which will house administration and community functions.

The company will also give $500,00 to an historic trust fund, $500,00 to an affordable housing trust, $1 million to the Danvers school fund, and $4.5 million for housing to the state mental health department.

"There are significant benefits that will ultimately flow from it," said Avalon Bay's Scot Dale, who mentioned, too, the estimated $1 million in taxes.

Preservation Commission Chairman Kathryn Morano expects that the hearing will be continued, because there are four "booklets" of demolition request materials from the developers. Also, members want to arrange with the state to take tours of some of the buildings they have yet to see, she said in an interview Tuesday. In particular, she mentioned the Gray Gables, which some so-called urban explorers have said is in quite good condition, despite its outward appearance and assurances from the state that it is beyond repair.

The commission has already found the buildings "historically significant." They must now determine if they are "worthy of preservation," she said. "Sometimes a building is beyond restoration," she said.

That, however, seems to be in dispute with a number of buildings at the site.

Scatt Dale of AvalonBay said they would bring an "overlay," as requested by the commission members although not required by the bylaw, to show their new project compared to what is there now. In addition, they have provided photos of all sides of the buildings, as required.

Town Manager Wayne Marquis said he hoped the commission would agree that at least some of the buildings were OK to demolish. A continuance once or twice is quite common, he said, but significant delays would not be in the best interests of the town.

The developer expects to have permits in place by the autumn, Dale said.

AvalonBay Communities requested town permission this week to take down 45 buildings and structures, including the better part of the landmark Kirkbride building, at the site of the former Danvers State Hospital.

In April, Avalon signed an $18.1 million agreement to buy the available 75 acres of the old hospital property. The company's master plan calls for the construction of 526 apartments, roughly 100 of which would be placed in a renovated, central one-third of the Kirkbride building. The rest of the apartments would be placed in 17 apartment buildings erected around the Kirkbride atop Hawthorn Hill. Another 100,000 square feet of commercial buildings would be constructed in the lowlands portion of the property.

The demolition request, dated Oct. 6, was received at Town Hall Tuesday, Oct. 7.

To knock down portions of the Kirkbride and most of the other buildings - including staff houses, patient dormitories, chapels and utility buildings - Avalon's application must pass through the Preservation Commission, the members of which have this week promised stiff resistance to Avalon's plans.

In June, they enjoyed an unusually amicable first, face-to-face meeting with the developers, even though the developers indicated they would knock down the better part of what preservationists generally agree is a very historically significant building in town.

This week the good relations of June seem to have mostly drained away.

Preservation Commission Chairwoman Kathryn Morano said Avalon representatives disagreed with just about everything she had to tell them in a follow-up meeting on Sept. 25. Company representatives strongly argued which buildings the commission had authority over, she said.

Under Danvers bylaws, the Preservation Commission can order a six-month delay on the demolition of any structure built before 1915 which it deems historically significant. Members of the commission also argue that all the buildings on the site of the former state hospital come under their province, even those built after 1915.

The whole site is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, which means even the structures constructed after 1915 can be ruled historically significant, Morano said.

The individual heading up the reconstruction effort, Avalon's senior director of development, Scott Dale, did not return a phone call placed Wednesday morning prior to press time.

In interviews last week and this week, members of the commission promised to hold up Archstone's demolition plans as long as possible.

While Avalon has almost certainly planned for the commission to use it's power to delay construction by six months, the commission may be able to drag things out quite a bit longer than that, Preservation Commission member John Archer said in an interview this week.

"That can be delayed more and more, and time is money to these big corporations," Archer said. "It's not that the Preservation Commission doesn't want that property developed. It's going to be, and we know that. It's just how that is going to happen."

Preservationists are pursing several options to push for more preservation at the site. Archer and others continue to speak with senior officials at the Massachusetts governor's office in a bid to leverage support. They are also considering a legal challenge in land court, Archer said.

"If we get a ruling by the (Massachusetts) Land Court, it would delay it two years and that's what we want," Archer said. "Within those two years we hope to gather more information and get more people involved."

A hearing date before the Preservation Commission is not yet scheduled.

Avalon Bay Communities solidified its commitment to the redevelopment of Danvers State Hospital with the signing of a purchase agreement for the 75 acre property late last week. Avalon put down a $300,000 deposit towards the $18.1 million purchase price from the state. The developer has another 30 days to investigate the hospital grounds and back out before it must add another $1 million to its deposit.

The agreement Avalon signed last week adopts the Archstone development plan as its own, except for a few minor changes.The new document changes a clause that, in the Archstone agreement, called for the developer to use "commercially reasonable efforts to preserve the historic portions of the Kirkbride Building " to "shall use commercially reasonable efforts to preserve, to the extent feasible and safe, the Kirkbride center "tower building" in addition to the two wings on either side. The loss of two-thirds of the 300,000 square foot Kirkbride building has infuriated local historic preservationists, who've continually spoken out against the loss of huge portions of the unique building that is on the National Historic Register.

Archstone Communities pulled out from the purchase and sales agreement and is no longer interested in purchasing the hospital.There are conflicting stories why Archstone walked. Some speculate that it was too costly for Archstone and was no longer a financially wise investment. Another reason is that Archtone simply did not want to wait the years it would take to process and finalize the sale of the property. AvalonBay a company once under consideration and had a prior proposal is again now seeking to purchase the 75 acres on top of Hathorne Hill. It's been mentioned that AvalonBay is picking up right where Archstone left off and only want's to salvage the main Kirkbride entrance and the two a jointing wings off of the main entrance.