Karp confirms major issues at the J.C. House
BY MARY LANCASTER
Nantucket Island Resorts owner Stephen Karp this week acknowledged that repair and improvement issues at the Jared Coffin House extend to more than the Tap Room, and will surely keep that bar and restaurant closed for at least another year.

"We can't fix the problem with Band- Aids," said karp about the J.C. House.

About a year ago this month the Tap Room was shut down when the start of restoration revealed several areas needing to be brought up to code, as well as the requirement to upgrade handicap access and restrooms. On further investigation, the magnitude of the work necessary in the restaurant, as well as in other parts of the historic hotel, brought the planned enhancement project to a halt.

"A lot of the Architectural Access Board issues go through the building. We can't make changes in the restaurant until we do work elsewhere," Karp said on Monday. "Everywhere you turn around there's a problem, and the prices of construction have gone up considerably. It's not just the bathrooms. We're trying to figure out how to do it reasonably, but the truth of the matter is we have all these problems.

"The need is not just access and exhaust hoods in the kitchen," he continued. "The elevator in the building is undersized and we had to shut it down. Those are the issues we're dealing with. It doesn't do us any good to have a problem, but we can't fix the problem with Band-Aids and we can't fix the problem with just the basement. It may be a year to two to sort out solutions. Having to build a new kitchen and handicap access to the building without screwing up the upstairs is the problem."

Karp said patrons of the Jared Coffin House have not viewed it as a dining destination, a situation former owner Phil Read faced who finally decided to stop serving dinner at Jared's because it was becoming a losing proposition.

Karp does not seem concerned at this point that being without food service will significantly affect his lodging business, and is offering guests cold breakfast selections. He has also given guests discount cards to use when dining at his other NIR properties and plans to open the White Elephant with its Brant Point Grill earlier than usual this spring and keep it open longer into the fall.

"If we hadn't closed [The Tap Room] down to remodel a bathroom we would be open," Karp said with some frustration over the extent of the

Jared Coffin situation. I