Edgartown officials are considering a new proposal to revamp a historic Main street building that will be home to a general store. 

Joseph and Lisa Amato purchased 37 Main street in February, and earlier this month contractor Gerret Conover and designer Sasha Robinson-White laid out plans before the town historic district commission.

Initially built in 1790 as a ship owner’s residence, the building is now home to a pair of retail storefronts. The Amatos are proposing to open up the building into a single, larger retail space, along with a new kitchen area where the general store could sell Island-made products and grab-and-go meals. 

The project proposes to have a wraparound porch along the village green. — Courtesy Edgartown

The proposed building would add about 1,600 square feet across the three floors — expanding on each — and then add a wraparound porch at the rear of the building where there would be a takeout window along the existing village green.

The Amatos were met with criticism from the commission and some members of the public about the design during a meeting in August, and returned to the Sept. 3 meeting with new plans that downsized some of the elements. 

“The visible massing is far less,” said Mr. Robinson-White.

Most of the changes were welcomed by the commission, though there were still some worries among members. 

“I think it’s a step in the right direction,” said commission member Ezra Sherman. 

Dormers and the flat roof portion were raised as potential issues for the commission, which is charged with making sure buildings in the historic district stay within the character of the historic downtown. 

Downtown business owner Geno Courtney expressed skepticism that the plan would fit along the green as neatly as the developers said it would. 

“My concern right from the beginning is this wraparound porch,” he said.

The addition of the wraparound porch will not change the layout of the green, which has a walking path that connects Main street to Peases Point Way, according Mr. Conover. 

“The path does not change and the flow does not change,” he said. 

With the commission still dissatisfied with parts of the plan, the developers said they will consider other options before coming back to the commission on Thursday. 

“We need to consult with the client and see what we can come up with,” Mr. Conover said.