SOUTH DEERFIELD — The long-awaited senior housing project that will serve as one of the key slices of Deerfield’s municipal campus will take a major step forward in January, as the Selectboard has approved the release of a request for proposals (RFP).

Deerfield is seeking proposals from developers for the creation of between 30 and 60 apartments for adults ages 62 and older, with all units affordable to households at or below 60% of the area median income, which is $46,020 for a single person and $52,560 for two people. The town is seeking to create senior housing on the former St. James Church parcel at 83-85 North Main St.

Lili Dwight, chair of the ad hoc Senior Housing Committee, presented the draft RFP on Wednesday evening, emphasizing the town’s intent to try to preserve the St. James Church’s structure as much as possible, or, at the very least, retain the facade.

“It’s what’s in the RFP, but it is clear … if you can’t keep the church, keep the facade,” Dwight said. “We recognize [a full conversion] might not be possible for them to be able to develop because of the cost or the design.”

Dwight added that the town is looking for the 30 to 60 apartments because a project like this needs to be viable for a developer and limiting the number of units may limit profit, which turns off prospective developers.

“Local towns have tried to say 15 units or something, and they got zero bids and they had to go back to the drawing board, which takes years and costs a lot more money,” Dwight said. “We’re really hoping that this will be quite an attractive opportunity for subsidized senior housing.”

A lottery for Deerfield residents will also be included for the development, much like Sanderson Place in Sunderland. Sanderson Place was undertaken by Rural Development Inc., a nonprofit developer under the umbrella of the Franklin County Regional Housing & Redevelopment Authority, and Deerfield town officials have often looked at what its neighbor has done to see what lessons it can take.

The town is retaining the Franklin Regional Council of Governments (FRCOG) to manage the RFP process and a review committee will be convened to look over proposals. Dwight added they have been working with the Massachusetts Housing Partnership, which has provided insight into the process and when to issue the RFP.

“It seems like we want to take the advice of experts and we should be out in the market in January,” Deerfield Selectboard Chair Tim Hilchey said. “If we approve this tonight, it would give town administration time to work with town counsel and FRCOG.”

The Selectboard unanimously approved the issuing of the RFP in January, with members saying the ad hoc Senior Housing Committee put together a strong document. Proposals, Selectboard member Trevor McDaniel said, will be evaluated for what they look like, how many units it can accommodate and the neighborhood impacts.

“We hope to get many, many, many creative plans and things to look at,” said McDaniel, who noted no decisions have been made yet for what the development will look like. “Nothing’s set in stone and we’re going to say, ‘Smart developers, show us your grand ideas.’”

The church was bought using $420,000 in Community Preservation Act (CPA) money, appropriated at the 2023 Annual Town Meeting. The purchase was then completed at a Special Town Meeting in October of that year. Finally, residents gave ultimate approval to move forward in the process at this year’s fall Special Town Meeting.

As Deerfield moves forward with the RFP, Dwight said the town is asking developers to think of creative ways to design the building, as well as how the land can be used.

Proposals with a “strong focus on carbon emissions reduction, through energy efficiency and integration of renewable energy sources (including solar and geothermal), will be considered highly advantageous,” according to the RFP.

“We could be a real model for some developments,” Dwight said. “We’re willing and we’re putting that in our RFP. I’m thinking it’d look kind of sexy for an old town.”

Chris Larabee can be reached at clarabee@recorder.com.