ReMain Nantucket has sponsored the ULI advisory panel to assist ReMain in developing strategies to enhance and protect the economic, social and environmental vitality of downtown Nantucket for future generations.

 Questions for the Panel:

(1)  What currently is the function of Nantucket’s downtown relative to the rest of the Island and what should it be in the future?  What does a vibrant year-round downtown look and feel like given the Island’s seasonal economic cycles?    What uses, services and institutions need to be downtown for it to be part of the daily lives of both year-round and summer residents?  Is there an acceptable percentage of businesses that can be closed in the off-season without making downtown seem deserted?  

(2)  How can downtown best complement the mid-Island area where many people now conduct most of their commercial activities of daily living and vice versa?  Given high real estate values, what strategies can be used to allow local businesses to attain and maintain profitability?  What strategies and opportunities arise from seasonality?  

(3)  What are the barriers to coming to downtown and how do we get around them?  Other than the airport, the delivery systems for people, cars, goods, and fuel all originate in the downtown district.  Are there ways to capitalize on that influx to enhance the downtown area?  Are there ways to manage the seasonal peak capacity issues – traffic, parking, and pedestrian flow - to mitigate the impacts of those delivery systems on the environment and the downtown infrastructure and economy?  During the last 12 months, a transportation plan and downtown parking garage have been debated in Town, a downtown bus stop is being tested, and zip cars have been considered by a non-profit. What other ideas can Nantucket explore to creatively solve transportation issues and concerns in an environmentally sensitive way?

(4)  Can you help us identify big ideas or potential projects and opportunities that can be targeted over the next 10 years to strengthen downtown’s economic, social, and environmental future?  And then help us understand the pros and cons.  

(5)  Is there a role for philanthropy in enhancing or creating an economically, socially and environmentally sustainable downtown?  What are possible public/private partnerships and opportunities for collaborations to strengthen the future of downtown Nantucket?

Revised 9-18-2008

More about the Urban Land Institute visit.