Town to apply for more funds to complete bandshell repairs

Officials are seeking further grant funding to repair the Lillian Gregerman Bandshell in the heart of Onset. 

The Select Board voted on March 8 to allow Town Planner Ken Buckland to apply for $250,000 in grant funds from the Mass Office of Travel and Tourism's Destination Development Capital Grant program, which would be added to the funds the town has already allocated for the project. 

Town Meeting approved spending $333,000 of Community Preservation funds to replace the bandshell in fall 2018, and a request for qualifications for potential contractors to execute the work was posted to the town’s website in September 2021.

Officials were surprised to learn that it would cost roughly $1.4 million to replace the bandshell due to skyrocketing construction costs.

So they’re opting instead to refurbish the structure.

“It’s in a little bit of rough shape right now, and it needs some help,” said Buckland. 

Select Board member Alan Slavin said that the town needs to do a better job communicating with the public when projects can’t be completed as they were initially proposed.

Buckland said he’s looking for additional letters of support for the project, which will help the town’s chances of being awarded the grant.

“The more letters the better,” Buckland said, adding that he’d asked various performers to write letters of support.

Letters are due by March 28. Buckland can be contacted at kbuckland@wareham.ma.us.