What’s Next For Former Orleans Information Center?

ORLEANS – Anyone interested in a building on Eldredge Park Way? The select board wants to hear from you.

The Orleans Chamber of Commerce’s former visitor information center is currently vacant, and the chamber has no interest in continuing operations out of the aging structure at 8 Eldredge Park Way.

With that, the select board began the process last week of charting a path forward for the property. That could include having another interested party take control of the building and pay to relocate it off site.

The town wants to hear ideas and proposals from those in the community who might be interested in using the building, which has been under the chamber’s control for more than 40 years.

“We’ll see what comes in,” Town Manager Kim Newman told the select board Nov. 1. “Hopefully we’ll get something, or maybe we’ll get nothing. And we’ll move from there.”

The chamber, then known as the Board of Trades of Orleans, began operating the information center in 1979 on property currently owned by Eversource next to the electric substation. The chamber pays property taxes annually on the building, while the town has a lease with the utility to use the land.

For years, the building served as a spot where people could stop and pick up a map or get information about different points of interest in town. But it has fallen into disrepair over time, and the decision was made this summer to move the building’s operations into the chamber’s headquarters at 44 Main St.

Judy Lindahl, the chamber’s executive director, said the chamber has had conversations with the town about the future of the property and the building. That began with a written request to decommission the building in June.

The town must give Eversource a year’s notice in writing if and when it decides to terminate the lease. In July, it was determined in discussions with Town Counsel Michael Ford that the site would need to be restored to its original condition upon the lease’s termination. That process would include moving the building and filling in the land as needed.

Newman said the town needs “direction” from the board as to how to proceed with the chamber on plans for the property. She recommended that the town first solicit interest from town boards and committees to see if any might have interest in using the building.

“I’d like to see if that’s a possibility that you’re interested in before we consider any other possibilities,” she said.

Beyond that, Newman said the town could see if local nonprofits or other public entities might have interest in the building in its current state. Another option could be to use the building for public safety training, she said.

If there is interest from other groups, it would be up to the select board to decide the building’s future use. Ideally, Newman said, the selected group would pay to relocate the building. Lindahl estimated that cost to be between $40,000 and $60,000.

“That’s the real issue,” Newman said. “Is this a value to someone else potentially so much so that they would assume the cost of moving it off the site?”

There has been past discussion about relocating the information building to Depot Square, while Andrea Reed of the select board also noted that the chamber’s decision to pivot informational services to Main Street represents a recommitment to using that building. She said those factors need to be considered in deciding what happens on Eldredge Park Way.

“It’s hard to give a concise answer tonight, because every move impacts other things,” she said.

“Regardless of what happens at 44 Main St. or Depot Square, the chamber of commerce has literally no interest ever again in [working out of] Eldredge Park Way next to a power station,” Lindahl said. “It is not the welcome sign that any of you want.”

Kevin Galligan of the select board voiced support for fully decommissioning the building, which is still powered by Eversource. But Lindahl said under the lease, the building needs to be powered unless there’s another plan in place for the property.

“I think we take the first step of seeing what we’re going to do potentially with the building first before we decommission,” Newman said.

To expedite the process, Mark Mathison of the select board said the town should solicit interest from all parties at once, including town committees, nonprofits and the public.

“Whoever wants it can come to us, and if we have to make a decision we’ll make a decision,” he said. “But get it out there right away, and get it open and available to anyone and everyone.”

Newman said the matter will be brought back before the select board for an update next month.

Email Ryan Bray at ryan@capecodchronicle.com