Tenants will soon be sought for a town-owned building at 4 Recovery Road that Selectmen were forced to renovate using grant funds a year ago, which one referred to as a “waste.”

“We finally have some potential interest in the property that we pumped $160,000 in [grant] funds,” said Selectmen Chair Peter Teitelbaum. “None of us were too happy. Maybe we might get some return on that.”

Located in the Wareham Industrial Park in West Wareham, the building used to house the Christopher Donovan Day School, which has since moved to the Hammond School in Onset.

The grant funds were part of the town's 2014 Community Development Block Grant, offered through the state's Department of Housing and Community Development and the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development.

“I think it’s a terrible waste of government money that should not have gone this far,” said Teitelbaum in 2016 when the grant funds were approved.

Selectmen expressed frustration at using funds for an empty building. Those funds could have been used for more deserving projects, said Teitelbaum. On the other hand, the board’s hands were tied, as the town needed to wrap up the work approved in the 2014 grant or risk trouble in obtaining future grant funds.

Selectmen were optimistic on Tuesday after learning that Director of Planning & Community Development Ken Buckland requested approval to start seeking tenants. Board members unanimously approved the request.