Vorce, Worden meet in NYC to discuss hub
BY MARY LANCASTER INDEPENDENT WRITER
Last week the closing purchase on the Reith Island Spirits property at 10 and 12 Washington St. became official, selling for $3.5 million to Greenhound LLC, an entity established by the philanthropic Schmidt Family Foundation to acquire the parcel and create a transportation hub for the Nantucket Regional Transit Authority.

PINAR OZGER PHOTO Google CEO Eric Schmidt

On Sunday, Planning Director Andrew Vorce and Scout Real Estate Capital owner Alan Worden, who is managing the project, met in New York City with some of the Foundation's agents to discuss decisions that need to be made for the center.

While the selectmen had proposed having the town buy the property for the same amount, it would have required a $2.5 million override that voters shot down in September. Worden said he knew of the Foundation's mission to improve the global environment and energy practices as well as protect historic places using new, clean technologies. The night the ballot question failed, Worden phoned the Schmidts and explained the situation.

"They responded literally in one phone call," said Worden. "They said this is important to Nantucket. The reason the decision was so easy is because it was directly in line with their mission. We are at the point of taking a very good idea of the town's and bringing additional expertise to it and developing it in ways that are good for the town."

The Foundation's President is Wendy Schmidt whose husband Eric Schmidt is Google's Chief Executive Officer. They fund the Foundation. The Schmidts are summer residents of the island and keep up with what is occurring here with an eye to assisting through the California-based nonprofit organization.

"Municipalities and governments are strapped for these services," said Vorce. "This is an exciting opportunity and I appreciate the fact that they are making this available to the town. I think there is an opportunity here to improve the transit system and attract ridership. I want to make our staff resources available [to work on the design]."

Vorce said some of the topics discussed on Sunday included what will be done with the existing liquor store building, what the new building should look like, where it should be located and whether it should include public restrooms, an information kiosk and a retail area for beverages. Preliminary landscaping ideas and the potential to include shade on the property were also discussed, but whether the hub will be gifted or leased to the town or NRTA has yet to be determined.

Worden, also co-owner of Windwalker Real Estate on Nantucket, said talks about the project layout have begun and will continue with the selectmen and NRTA Administrator Paula Leary, and will include important feedback from shuttle bus drivers next summer. He said the hope is to have the property used as a prototype on a temporary basis in the summer of 2008 and begin its transformation to a final design in the fall. Worden's resort investment and development company is also committed to sustainable development practices and "green" technologies, so he is pleased to be involved with the Foundations' goals.

"We want this to be a national model for green development and sustainability," he said of the hub. "We'd like to advance the concept of green buses. Nantucket is vulnerable in certain ways and this is an opportunity to advance thinking on what green technology and sustainability is. To be part of that team is

very exciting." I