The sale of Goddard College to a group led by alumni and former faculty has fallen through after they failed to raise the $3.4 million needed to purchase the campus, the college’s board of trustees announced on Monday.
The sale of the Plainfield campus to the Greatwood Project was announced in early August after a previous sales agreement fell through. The Greatwood Project hoped to use the existing campus buildings to create a village-like community that included housing, space for tech start-ups aimed at addressing climate change, and an agro-tourism-focused inn with a Nordic spa and mountain bike trail system.
“Our intention is to bring money into the town and to bring visitors into the town by creating a space for cultural events such as concerts, housing, and space for businesses," Greatwood Project member Lucinda Garthwaite told Seven Days last week.
But this week, the group told Goddard’s board of trustees it had been unable to get the funds to buy the campus, the board of trustees said in a written statement on Monday.
“The Board of Trustees will now explore a range of alternative options to sell the campus. This will include engaging with multiple potential buyers who have expressed interest in acquiring the property,” the board said in the written statement.
A representative for the trustees said on Monday that the board didn’t have any additional information to share. Garthwaite, with the Greatwood Project, did not respond to a request for comment.
Goddard College, founded in 1938, was known for its experimental and non-traditional approach to education. The institution didn’t award grades and allowed students and professors to create curriculum from scratch each semester. Its notable alumni and faculty include members of the band Phish, actor William H. Macy, playwright David Mamet, and poet Louise Glûck.
Goddard closed this year due to low enrollment.
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