Nearly seven months after Town Meeting approved year-round operation of the State Street Landing public restrooms, town officials are working to install heating systems that would allow the facilities to remain open through winter.
Logan Casey, Marblehead’s sustainability coordinator, says the heat pump installation project has been designated as one of the priorities for the remaining American Rescue Plan Act funding that must be allocated by year’s end. The Current’s most-recent reporting on the fund’s balance registered at nearly $600,000.
“We’re putting out a public bid for people to put in a heat pump system into that building to get it heated, which will be the biggest challenge to getting it open year-round,” Casey said. “We’re hoping this will be one of those projects that gets approved when the Select Board programs some of the ARPA funding at their December meetings.”
It’s not clear yet how much the heat pump project will cost.
The restrooms, located on State Street Landing property managed by the Harbors and Waters Department, have historically been closed during winter months due to the risk of pipes freezing. A 1996 Town Meeting vote originally mandated year-round operation, but the facilities reverted to seasonal use after heating equipment failed and was never replaced.
The project faces both technical and operational hurdles. Beyond installing appropriate heating systems, town officials must determine ongoing maintenance responsibilities.
“After we get the heating system installed, there will have to be another conversation about how we’re going to operate this year-round,” Casey explained. “We’ll need some kind of alarm system because if the doors are left open in winter, that could cause problems with the heating system.”
The initiative emerged from a citizen petition by Philip Blaisdell that gained approval from both the Harbors and Waters Board and Town Meeting. The board’s endorsement came with the stipulation that implementation would not impact the Harbors and Waters enterprise fund.
“Since it’s one of those things that Town Meeting approved, there’s really no structure to actually implement it. So that’s just happening ad hoc,” Casey noted. “But because we have this opportunity with the ARPA money, we’re able to move forward.”
While Casey expressed confidence in the project’s eventual completion, he emphasized that nothing is guaranteed until the Select Board officially designates the funding.
“I’m pretty sure it’s going to happen, but nothing is set in stone until the Select Board officially designates that, which will come in December,” he said.
The initiative represents one of several sustainability projects currently underway in Marblehead, including energy efficiency improvements at other town properties like the Moses Pickett House,10 Franklin St., where similar heat pump technology is being considered as part of a broader renovation effort. That home is owned by the town and rented to residents.
