Former QPS maintenance facility sells for $250,000; will become indoor mountain bike park

QUINCY — Dr. Darin Thomas was the sole bidder for the former Quincy Public School maintenance facility at 640 Jersey. The facility will be an addition to the existing bike park next door at 628 Jersey and is on track to be the second largest mountain bike park in the United States. 

Cheers were heard as Board Attorney David Penn accepted Thomas’s bid at the minimum set price of $250,000. Parents and their children showed up on bikes with their signs in support of Thomas. 

“This is not a business venture for me at all,” Thomas said. “We were looking for an opportunity to do something really unique that we have never done before.” 

Thomas plans to knock down the wall between the maintenance facility and the building next door that houses the bike park that is still under construction. The mountain bike park is a non-profit and is part of his charity PHAST — Promote Health and Service Together. 

“As soon as we close on this, I can cut through the wall and we have an additional 34,000 square feet,” Thomas said. 

The mountain bike park will have things for children just learning to ride bicycles to professional riders. Thomas says this will provide Quincy children with a much needed winter activity. 

QPS maintenance director Ryan Clair said he was happy Thomas has plans to benefit the community in the long run.

“A good thing for people to know is it is going to be a building that’s going to be repurposed and reused downtown, instead of another old brick building with broken-out windows not being used,” said Clair. 

The Quincy Public School Board will meet Oct. 23 to approve the building’s sale. Superintendent Todd Pettit does not expect any issues with board approval. 

“Anytime someone from Quincy purchases a building to repurpose, especially benefitting our youth, it’s a positive,” Pettit said.