Proposed beachfront Pier Hotel in Provincetown raises question of ‘changing climate’

Developers are working on an ambitious plan to replace four run-down buildings on Commercial Street in Provincetown with a 50-room hotel, restaurant, shops and apartments, but state and county officials worry the project would make coastal flooding worse.

The project at 227-229 Commercial St. and 227R Commercial St. calls for rehabbing two buildings and demolishing two others that are boarded up and in serious disrepair. Besides the hotel and restaurant, developers want to build nine condos, a marina and a pier that would extend 300 feet into Provincetown Harbor.

Because of the size, scope and location of the Provincetown Pier Hotel project, it is under a Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act Office review. The community has until Sept. 22 to submit comments. The developer for the project is Ecotekture Development & Design whose principal is Christine Barker.

A principal at Epsilon Associates, Inc., which submitted the proposal to the state, was not immediately available for comment Monday.

In another project, Ecotekture intends to develop land on Shank Painter Road that once was home to the Provincetown police station. The plan there is to build 40 home-ownership residences including some to be sold below market value.

For the hotel, apartments and retail project

Developer Ecotekture Development & Design would be required to submit a development of regional impact application for review by the Cape Cod Commission. Provincetown will need to approve special permit applications.  

Two 2 1/2 story buildings totaling about 41,000 square feet would be built on pilings. The pier would extend into the harbor after the remains of an old wharf have been removed. 

The property is owned by 227-229 Commercial St. LLC, a real estate management business, according to records on file with the Secretary of the Commonwealth. Purchased in 2022 for $4.6 million, it is assessed at $4,654,900, according to the town assessor’s website. Two buildings built in 1900 still stand, one at nearly 15,000 square feet and the other at 868 square feet. The Lady Slipper and the Provincetown Bookshop occupy space fronting Commercial Street.  

The property at 227R Commercial St. is owned by Bradford Rose, according to town assessor records.

Eleven state agencies and organizations, including the Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Marine Fisheries, Office of Coastal Zone Management and Conservation Law Foundation, have weighed in with their concerns about the impact the project will have on the town, its historic district and the environment.    

In a July 11 letter, Secretary Rebecca Tepper with the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, reiterated that comments from state agencies continue to highlight the risks of redevelopment in a flood-prone area. An analysis of information specific to the property says the buildings and infrastructure could be damaged by flooding and erosion over the life of the development.

The property is in a historic district on the harbor. The remnants of an old pier’s pilings remain in the water. Because of its proximity to the ocean and its location in a floodplain, the hotels will be built on piers that will raise the first floor 17 feet high.  

Parking is planned for the space beneath the hotel and utility infrastructure will be underground. The entire property would have a 10-foot berm to buffer wind and waves.

In a July 11 letter, Kristy Senatori, executive director of the Cape Cod Commission, wrote that the property “is vulnerable to coastal storms under a changing climate.” The project, she said, would raise the height and velocity of floodwaters, posing a threat to the property and others nearby.

The project, she said, appears inconsistent with the commission’s coastal resiliency goals and objectives, asking for further information on how the beach and dune will be protected.  

Provincetown Town Manager Alex Morse, Harbormaster Pete Whinn, and Director of Sustainability and Resilience Melyssa Nickerson support the project.

A spokesperson for the EEA said once the deadline for public comments is over, MEPA staff will review them. Secretary Tepper could issue a certification for a license as soon as Sept. 29.  

Denise Coffey writes about business, tourism and issues impacting the Cape’s residents and visitors. Contact her at dcoffey@capecodonline.com .   

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