Town receives $250,000 for Onset band shell renovations

The town received a $250,000 grant to help make the seating and walkways at the Onset band shell compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The grant was announced at the Tuesday, Jan. 20 Select Board meeting by Town Administrator Derek Sullivan. He said he anticipates the project starting in April and being completed by June 30.

Sullivan added he has spoken with Onset Bay Association President Kat Jones who told him if the project is done by the end of June, it should not interfere with the association’s annual summer concert series.

Should the project extend past the end of June, Sullivan said the concerts would be moved to Bay View Park across the street.

This would mark the second improvement project to the band shell in recent years. In 2022, Municipal Maintenance restored the physical band shell structure by replacing rotten boards, added additional supports, painted railings and replaced the stage’s wooden extensions with concrete.

The project is one of many in recent years to make upgrades to Onset. Last year the town completed a re-do of Bay View Park, making it Americans with Disabilities Act compliant and regraded the park and installed a brand new playground at Lopes Park to replace the aging wooden structure which stood for 40 years.

And there are still more Onset projects the town is looking to complete, including upgrades to the band shell steps. Sullivan said the town is looking to combine the band shell project with the town’s plans to do sidewalk work along West Boulevard and redo the entrance to Onset Pier.

Sullivan said combining the projects will make it easier to plan them out and potentially save the town money.