NPS to seek lessee for Red Beach house

The beleaguered McGlashan‑Nickerson house, owned by the National Park Service (NPS) and located in Red Beach as part of the St. Croix Island International Historic Site complex, may have a new lease on life. The house is on the National Register of Historic Places and was purchased by NPS in 2000 for office and staff housing.
With the construction of a new and energy efficient building for offices and staff living quarters, the park's use of the McGlashan‑Nickerson house ended in the fall of 2014. It was no longer considered a "fundamental resource" to the park. The park service went through a draft environmental assessment process to evaluate three alternatives for the historic house: no action; removal and relocation; or documentation and demolition. After community input that stressed the historical importance of the property to the area, the NPS has now issued a revised environmental assessment for the McGlashan‑Nickerson house, with the nonprofit entity Maine Preservation stepping forward to help find a lessee for the property.
Greg Paxton, executive director of Maine Preservation, says, "We want to help." His organization had listed the house on its most endangered list in 2018 and had offered to help at the time. He anticipates that Maine Preservation will assist in getting the word out about the building through its website, its membership and word‑of‑mouth. If a lessee is found, Maine Preservation would be available to provide technical assistance on restoration. "We're pleased with the change in direction," he says of the NPS decision.
The property as it was originally purchased by NPS is 6.75 acres. Christie Denzel Anastasia, public affairs specialist with Acadia National Park, explains that the house will be leased with two acres of surrounding land. Shoreland will be retained by the NPS as part of its long‑term plans to retain shore access for St. Croix Island interpretation sites. She says, "The NPS will not use the land that is leased with the house while under a lease agreement."
A request for proposals (RFP) is being worked on by NPS, says Anastasia, and is expected to be released within six months. She explains that the lease would have some restrictions. "We would anticipate historic preservation requirements, which would be outlined in the RFP and included in the lease agreement." She adds, "The leasing details, including lease amount, will be negotiated between the lessor [NPS] and the lessee."
Paxton references the home's past life and suggests that it could be used as a summer or year‑round home, and it's certainly large enough for a bed and breakfast or similar use. "That would be up to the user," he says. While he references federal and state historic preservation tax credits, the laws are complex when it comes to a lessee utilizing tax credits, particularly when the title is held by a tax‑exempt entity, in this case NPS. Anastasia says, "In this instance, the lessee does not own the property, so they are likely not eligible for a historic preservation tax credit."
Mike Johnson, rehabilitation tax credit coordinator with the Maine Historic Preservation Commission, agrees. "If the owner qualifies for the federal tax credit, then they automatically qualify for the state credit," he explains. But the tax‑exempt ownership combined with a lessee would generally not qualify. However, he notes, there are some more complex rules outlined by the Internal Revenue Service involving limited partnerships and length of lease that might allow for preservation tax credits to be used by a lessee. "I advise people to talk to their tax attorneys," he says about such projects.
While no interested parties have stepped forward yet, Anastasia says, "We are hopeful. It is possible the RFP will attract more response." Paxton believes the two‑year timeline for a lessee search is reasonable. "We're boundless optimists," he says.
Public comment on the revised environmental assessment ends on June 28. Comments may be made online using the Planning, Environmental & Public Comment website at <www.parkplanning.nps.gov/projectHome.cfm?projectID=41065>.