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Land Bank debates $3M–$4M budget range for 1619–19 East Creek project; staff to return with updated pricing
Summary
Commissioners discussed schematic plans, a $200,000 deconstruction exploration contribution, and options to pare costs — especially the large boardwalk — but took no final vote and asked staff to return with updated 2025 pricing and project-prioritization information.
Commissioners at the Nantucket Land Bank Commission meeting on May 20, 2025 debated how much to budget for the 1619 and 19 East Creek project and directed staff to return with updated pricing and a project-priorities briefing.
The discussion centered on a schematic design presented by a staff member and consultant material from SCAPE and others. The staff member said SCAPE’s 2023 cost estimate “ranged between 3,000,700 and 5,000,600 ish,” and noted that the boardwalk and pier represented roughly half of the construction cost. The staff member also said Remain had offered $200,000 to explore deconstruction.
Why it matters: the project could require multimillion-dollar spending, and commissioners differed on how much structure and how much landscape work the Land Bank should fund. Commissioners emphasized the need for a clear budget before moving to construction drawings.
Most of the debate focused on options to reduce cost without losing the site’s public value. Commissioners suggested cutting landscaping and site furnishings, reducing boardwalk footprint, deferring uncertain utilities, or phasing work so in-house or lower-cost items are completed over time. Commissioner Alan said he would be “comfortable” with the higher original estimates, while another commissioner said they favored a smaller, less-structural footprint and preferred a $3.05 million target. The staff member proposed a lower baseline — roughly $2.07 million using 2023 pricing adjustments — but warned that 2025/2026 construction costs might change the picture.
No formal vote was taken. The commission asked staff to obtain updated 2025 pricing (and, if helpful, 2026 numbers), to prepare a project pipeline update showing how this property fits with other Land Bank projects, and to return with options keyed to clear budget targets so the commission could decide which scope matched which price.
Commissioners also discussed permitting and whether to retain SCAPE as a lead designer or reduce its role as a subcontractor to control costs. The staff member said design and permitting could be pared back if the commission set a firm budget to design toward.
What’s next: staff will return with updated cost estimates, an inventory of current projects and budgets, and options for a design that fits one or more price points. The commission did not authorize construction or adopt a budget at this meeting.
