Representatives from the town of Edgartown and the Dukes County Commission made pitches to take over ownership of the former Land Bank headquarters at a Land Bank commission meeting Monday.

The presentations came after a request for proposals from government and municipal entities to take over the Main street, Edgartown property, with a minimum bid of $1.5 million, resulted in zero bids. The land bank decided to sell the property after purchasing a 14-acre Meetinghouse Way property last year for $9.5 million. That property included a building to be used as a new office.

At the meeting on Monday, Edgartown town administrator James Hagerty presented a plan for the town to take over the building for municipal employee housing.

“This plan is very conceptual,” Mr. Hagerty said, adding that the select board was “very excited” about the prospect.

In the Edgartown select board meeting later Monday afternoon, Mr. Hagerty discussed with the board on how best to move forward with the proposal, citing similar municipal housing initiatives on Nantucket and in other towns on the Island. He said the building’s location, close to downtown Edgartown and the bus station, made it ideal for affordable housing.

“It would be a shame if it went to a private sale and just turned into another home on Main street,” he said. “I think this is an opportunity to do something beneficial.” 

Select board members agreed, floating the possibility of a joint venture with an Island nonprofit or other government entity. Select board member Mike Donaroma hoped the plan could combine commercial use with “residential flavor” to maintain the property’s street appeal.

“Opportunities like these don’t happen every day,” he said.

Dukes County commissioner Tristan Israel outlined an alternative plan to the Land Bank, proposing that the registry of deeds might move from the courthouse to the Land Bank building at 167 Main street.

“We have a very complicated relationship with the state vis-a-vis the courthouse,” he said. “It is costly to the Island.”

Moving the registry further down on Main street, he said, might ease that financial burden and free up space in the court for other uses.

The land bank commission took no action on either proposal at Monday’s meeting, but indicated a willingness to participate in further discussions.