COHASSET - May 19, 2026 - The Cohasset Select Board voted unanimously to authorize Interim Town Manager Michelle Leary to hunt for and negotiate commercial leases across town, paving the way to entirely vacate Town Hall for an extensive 12-to-18-month HVAC and demolition phase. The decision splits town departments across multiple temporary locations starting as early as August 1, 2026, pulling the trigger on a logistically complex and costly relocation process to keep the critical infrastructure modernization project on track.
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The Select Board pushed forward on the long-debated Town Hall renovation project, acknowledging that keeping staff inside the municipal building during the heaviest phases of construction is completely unfeasible. Interim Town Manager Michelle Leary revealed that while staff can remain in place during the window replacements scheduled for this summer, they must completely move out before massive demolition and HVAC system overhauls commence.
The logistics are proving to be a jigsaw puzzle for municipal leaders. The town previously considered utilizing the municipal-owned property at 135 King Street as a singular hub, but structural limitations have restricted that plan. The building’s second floor is not compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), making it a “waste of space” for public operations unless the town infuses unbudgeted capital into accessibility upgrades. Furthermore, using 135 King Street for the next two years would directly paralyze planning for the long-delayed Public Safety Building project if that site is ultimately selected for the police and fire facility.
As a result, town operations will be scattered. Leary noted that “there is not one perfect site where all staff members can be housed, so we will be split between buildings.” To mitigate chaos for residents, the administration plans to cluster the finance departments together so that tax collection and financial processing remain centralized.
“We’ve looked at several places... we really need direction as to can we enter into a lease as soon as August to start moving the operations over during the summer months... because come September, we’re going to start with the clerk’s office with their early elections.” — Interim Town Manager Michelle Leary [23:22]
