As we reported yesterday, a missive from Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities (EOHLC) to involved parties resulted in confusion about the fate of the former UMass Lowell Inn & Conference Center and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts’ role in the building’s use through the rest of the year.

Following inquiries from InsideLowell, and apparently Lowell’s state delegation and city administration, the EOHLC sent another email Friday evening that still leaves the building’s immediate future in doubt, along with when exactly UMass Lowell can begin planning to figure out what they want to do with it.

Tyler Newhall, Director of Legislative Affairs for the Division of Housing Stabilization at the EOHLC, sent an email to State Senator Ed Kennedy, Representatives Vanna Howard, Rodney Elliott, Tara Hong, City Manager Tom Golden, his assistant Shawn Machado and Mayor Danny Rourke.

The email was then forwarded to InsideLowell from the state in response to our questions about what exactly the Commonwealth of Massachusetts was planning, as multiple legislative, city and UMass Lowell sources told us they had received differing communications from the state regarding the matter in recent days.

“I am writing to clarify my earlier email regarding Emergency Assistance (EA) family shelter operations at the Lowell Inn and Conference Center,” Newhall wrote. “The UMass Lowell Inn and Conference Center has been a highly successful shelter, and one of the state’s largest, serving long time Massachusetts residents as well as new arrivals. The Executive Office of Housing & Livable Communities’ (EOHLC) current contract for EA family shelter services with CCA Housing Solutions will continue through the remainder of FY25 (June 30, 2025).”

“EOHLC does not plan to extend the EA contract with CCA into next fiscal year at this time; however, the Commonwealth’s agreement for the use of the Lowell ICC space is currently scheduled through December 31, 2025,” Newhall continued. “EOHLC is working to evaluate options for continued use of the space for the Emergency Assistance family shelter program. As soon as we have any updates to share regarding EA family shelter in Lowell or utilization of the ICC building, I will be in touch.”

Checking back with our sources following this evening’s email, there seems to be a sense that either the state doesn’t yet know what it wants to do with the property, or that they do know but aren’t yet willing to tell local officials.

And as we were told yesterday, per the contract the state signed with UMass Lowell, EOHLC could simply walk away at the end of June and not be responsible for any further lease payments.

Which means, according to a university source, “whether it’s 7 weeks till they vacate or 7 months, planning for the reuse needs to come into focus.”