Planning officials will seek public comment on redeveloping the former Tremont Nail Factory District, reigniting a fierce debate among residents who view the property as either a boondoggle or a fixer-upper with commercial potential.

Director of Planning & Community Development Kenneth Buckland said a $50,000 state grant kickstarted the review process.

The money is coming from MassDevelopment, a state agency with a track record of revamping blighted properties. Buckland noted MassDevelopment’s flagship project is the redevelopment of Fort Devens in central Massachusetts from a former military base into a thriving community.

Buckland said the agency saw promise in the Tremont Nail Factory District.

The Tremont Nail Company, which since 1819 had manufactured cut nails and other products, sold the 7.2-acre site to the Town of Wareham in 2004. The site was purchased using Community Preservation Act funds. The Community Preservation Act is a Massachusetts law that allows participating cities and towns to adopt a real estate tax surcharge, supplemented by state matching funds in order to fund community preservation.

Since then, the property has languished, attracting few tenants and drawing ire from residents tired of town funds being used to maintain the eight buildings on the property.

A 2009 feasibility report by the Menders, Torrey and Spencer Inc. architecture firm in Boston assessed the site’s current condition and possible future. The report released an estimate for how much it would cost to revamp the site.

“It was a pretty hefty figure,” said Buckland.

A projected $557,280 to be exact. The news arrived amid the Great Recession, prompting calls from some for the town to drop the property. Other ideas, floated tongue in cheek or not, included using the site as a controlled burn for firefighter training.

Sure, that’s one use. However, the site has more potential than mere kindling, Buckland said, and he hopes people will bring their ideas to the table at a series of public meetings regarding the site. Buckland said the first meeting is tentatively scheduled for February, location and time to be announced.

“What we want to do is have this become economically viable,” said Buckland. “Most of this would hopefully be used for commerce or industry and continue the history of this property as an industrial site.”

Buckland suggested that perhaps the newest building on the site, which Atlantic Boats, Inc. most recently used for auxiliary storage, could house a small, 3D printing operation. A larger business, such as a craft brewery, may be suitable for the original factory building, he said.

Buckland said officials want to hear what residents have to say about the site.

There are signs the economy is on the upswing, according to Buckland, including an uptick in building permits coming through Town Hall.

“In 2009, when the initial report was done, the economy wasn’t so hot. Now, things have turned around,” said Buckland.

In addition to his department, Buckland noted that an environmental engineering firm, real estate advisor and market research advisor have been hired with grant funds to study the site.

“Together, we will get a better indication of what the market will support,” said Buckland.

Between the official reports and public input, Buckland hopes to have a clear picture of what would best be suited for the district. He said there are a few paths forward: a master developer could organize development for the entire site or individuals could come forward with plans to rent space.

The report, drafted with money from the state grant and ideas from planning officials and the public, should be prepared in four to six months, said Buckland.