The Wareham Redevelopment Authority can now request proposals from potential master developers for the Tremont Nail Factory property, following the Board of Selectmen’s unanimous 5-0 decision to authorize issuing a request for proposals.

Selectman Patrick Tropeano said he thought finding a master developer would be the best move forward for Tremont Nail.

“This is the part of the property that I appreciate,” Tropeano said. “It’s about time that somebody else and something else happens to this property so that it becomes what it needs to become. ... In order for it to take the next step, I think this is the most important piece — to get it out there and see what people think it can be developed into.”

Originally built in the 19th century, the Tremont Nail Factory was bought by Wareham using Community Preservation Act funds in 2004. The factory manufactured steel cut nails for decades. Today, the property consists of multiple buildings in various states of repair and disrepair.

Alan Slavin, a Board of Selectmen member, said a business owner who makes baked goods had recently reached out to him with interest in the Tremont property in Wareham.

“It really bodes well, cause things are changing,” Slavin said. “It’s the first time someone has come up with a legitimate business that’s not been, you know, marijuana-based or this or that. To me, it’d be really nice to have a bakery sitting right off main street with the smells coming up, which would be much more pleasant than marijuana.”

Selectman Peter Teitelbaum said the request for proposals also encourages interested developers to consider the 2017 vision plan for Tremont Nail Factory, which was created with input from the Board of Selectmen, the public and other interested parties.

The exact responsibilities of a master developer remain unclear. 

The Tremont Nail property is owned by the town and controlled by the Board of Selectmen, Teitelbaum said, but the Redevelopment Authority has operational control of the property. Responses to the request for proposals would be evaluated by the Redevelopment Authority. The authority would then make a recommendation to the Board of Selectmen, which has the power to enter into an agreement with a developer.