Town’s Financial Concerns Holding Back Burgo Basketball Facility

After 11 years, the Burgo Basketball Association is still trying to build a new multi-purpose facility in Dartmouth.

Steve Burgo, President of the BBA met with the Dartmouth Select Board on Monday. The two sides continued discussions on building a $4.5 million facility at the BBA's current location on town-owned land.

The town's biggest concern with the project is the financing. While Burgo could get the funding, town officials want assurance that the land wouldn't be used as collateral if the BBA defaults on their loan.

Burgo said during Monday's meeting that his loaner has agreed to only control the building if a foreclosure happens. Burgo's loaner has also agreed to rent the building to a non-profit organization in that situation.

Select Board Chairman, Shawn McDonald says he looks forward to seeing the complex built.

"If [Burgo] defaults, you can basically take the building off the property. Go put it somewhere else, or get somebody else in there to run the property and the town still has a facility, and I can not see why it can't be done," McDonald says.

According to Burgo, he already has $1 million in donated services and items for the new facility. For example, Burgo says they have 8 game clocks worth $3,200 each which were all donated.

Burgo also expects to have some work done by vocational students to help lower costs.

"This is how we do it. This is how we get the price underneath," Burgo says.