Redevelopment Authority to consider master developer for Tremont Nail Factory

Oct 29, 2020

Tremont Nail Factory could soon have a new master developer, according to a discussion during the Wareham Redevelopment Authority’s Oct. 29 meeting.

Town Planner Ken Buckland said a developer was interested in the Tremont Nail Factory property, which the Redevelopment Authority owns, during the meeting.

“We have a developer who’s interested in coming in and talking with the WRA about what the opportunities are for selecting a master developer at the Tremont Nail Factory,” Buckland said.

Buckland said the developer should be able to speak at next week’s Redevelopment Authority meeting. 

After that, the Board of Selectmen will need to give the Redevelopment Authority permission to put out a request for proposals.

“Whatever we get from the developer, we can take that to the Selectmen,” said Peter Teitelbaum, a selectman and member of the Redevelopment Authority. “And say ‘here’s an example, we met with this developer, … they’re looking at this, they’re looking at that.’ Whatever it is.”

The Redevelopment Authority’s new plan for the property comes about seven months after Organa Brands, the cannabis manufacturing company set to be the flagship tenant of the redeveloped Tremont Nail Factory, pulled out of the deal.

Organa Brands originally cited inability to get a license from the state Cannabis Control Commission as the reason for its decision, but it was later discovered the company failed to properly submit its license application.

Before pulling out of the deal, Organa Brands did complete fairly extensive maintenance work on the so-called steel building, replacing its metal exterior.

The board has also received interest from a woodworker who would work in and restore one of the smaller buildings on the site. Other interested parties have included a small distillery and a brewery that considered sharing one of the larger buildings as an event venue. The status of those proposals is unclear.

The town has executed extensive environmental remediation on the site to remove oil and other hazardous materials from the soil and groundwater. 

In 2018, the property was rezoned with the Tremont Nail Factory Redevelopment Overlay District, which allows for a number of uses that were barred under the previous zoning. Possible uses for the site include hotel and athletic facilities, conference centers, apartments in a mixed use building, light manufacturing, storage facilities, marine connected uses, breweries and distilleries, and cannabis product manufacturing. Cannabis retail sales, medical dispensaries, or cultivation are not allowed.