The Vote That Will Change The Face Of Nantucket (It’s Not What You Think)

To the editor: One day after the Special Town Meeting – next Wednesday – the Select Board will rule on the demolition of 10 New Whale Street, a striking historic brick building owned by National Grid. The building sits on the last undeveloped land facing the waterfront and it’s located right next to our historic downtown. Sea-level rise notwithstanding, the area will assuredly be developed. But will we see this historic industrial building survive? The binary choice to restore or demolish 10 New Whale Street is stark. Once this building is gone, its authenticity is lost. Moreover, if Nantucket permits this demolition without having a redevelopment plan in place, we all lose some control over a key aspect of Nantucket’s future waterfront development.

Ten New Whale Street is a 1920s Greek Revival-style former coal and gas plant. Nearly 30 years ago, National Grid received permission to demolish the building and those surrounding it, except for 2 Candle Street (now housing the Town’s valet parking). National Grid deferred the demolition because they were using the building as storage for environmental remediation. It was cracked and hollow then and these conditions persist today.

The building is now nearly 100 years old and the community’s regard for early 20^th-century industrial buildings has evolved. The site is partially remediated and the tank farm relocated, but negotiations regarding infrastructure and redevelopment have stalled. Numerous town documents created over the past 15 years flag 10 New Whale for historic restoration: the town’s 2010 community plan for Wilkes Square, the Nantucket Historical Commission’s 2020 report to the Town on Harbor Place, and the Town’s 2022 Historic Properties Survey Plan all note the building’s historic value. Because historic buildings contribute to Nantucket’s tourism economy, our HDC has an obligation to protect them from demolition.

Last year, National Grid applied (again) to demolish the building and, in July, the HDC voted 3-2 to permit it. Their finding was that the building could not be saved and, further, that a future HDC would be obligated to review any plan a developer presents, theoretically creating an option for reconstruction. Nantucket Preservation Trust has challenged the decision as procedurally and logically unsound. They’ve asked the Select Board to remand it to the HDC for a more thorough hearing.

Of course, the building can be saved. There are abundant examples of brick buildings in even worse condition than this one that became preservation success stories and now serve their communities. For example, the Eustis Street Firehouse in Boston was abandoned for 50 years, missing its entire back wall and listing dangerously over a neighboring cemetery. It now serves as headquarters for Historic Boston Inc., the non-profit that rehabilitated it (under a 99-year lease from the city of Boston). The Charles River Speedway in Allston, a shingle-style building with brick and concrete utility buildings, was rotting and abandoned for decades. It is now a vibrant brewpub, artisan market, and event space for families in the surrounding area. Both these projects were funded using Historic Preservation Tax Credits. Expanding the search to include mill buildings, it’s amazing to see what structures communities and developers who care about preservation have saved, and the great benefits they’ve realized from having done so.

At Wednesday's hearing, the Select Board will consider testimony supporting NPT’s position. But there’s a fundamental question our community must pose: what is going on with this important parcel of land, and what kind of development will our town waterfront host 10 years from now? How can we induce National Grid to assist in achieving Nantucket’s community vision, and what can the town do to help? We all have an interest in this parcel, and we deserve to be part of the conversation.

Please come to 4 Fairgrounds Road on Wednesday, November 5, at 5:30 p.m. to show your support for historic Nantucket – and for planning that prioritizes our community.

Hillary Hedges Rayport