Newly constructed $19.2M waterfront Nantucket home that sold last year may be demolished: ‘It seems like it’s kind of a waste’

A Nantucket mansion that sold for $19.2 million just months ago might soon be demolished.

Steven Cohen, who owns the luxury property, has filed a proposal with the Nantucket Historic District Commission to tear down the recently constructed residence, according to the Nantucket Current.

Cohen, a co-founder of the law firm Cohen + Cohen Law, snapped up the six-bedroom home, which was still under construction and built to support inclement weather, in November.

The sprawling estate at 88 Pocomo Road boasts high-end amenities like a pool, a pickleball court, private beach access and a guest house with two additional bedrooms.

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While the property, previously listed by J Pepper Frazier Real Estate, offers sweeping views of Nantucket Harbor, it may not remain standing for long.

Cohen’s demolition proposal outlines plans to replace the existing structure with a new 3,426-square-foot main house and a 528-square-foot guest house.

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The mansion, completed in 2022, was a collaboration between several designers and builders, but now it’s in jeopardy of being wiped from the exclusive Pocomo Head landscape.

The current structure occupies nearly 10,000 square feet and holds six bedrooms in the main home plus the guest house.

“Step inside this elegant residence and be captivated by the seamless blend of high-end finishes and natural stone accents,” the previous listing said.

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“Every room of this home has been meticulously designed with exquisite details, ensuring a sophisticated experience.”

The home is currently pending approval from the Historic District Commission (HDC).

Last month, representatives for the property’s owners, through a blind trust, requested permission from the HDC to raze the home.

The commission is scheduled to hear the proposal on Tuesday.

Architect Matthew MacEachern of island-based firm Emeritus has represented the owners in previous hearings. MacEachern explained the situation to the HDC in July, noting that the house, still under construction, was only a “rough frame,” with “no interior finish whatsoever.”

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He added, “90% of the windows are in… The new owner was trying to work with the existing structure, but there was going to be so much work done to it that it’s basically a redesign.”

However, not everyone is on board with the teardown. Architect Graham Goldsmith, who owns the neighboring property on Pocomo Road, voiced his objections earlier this year, the outlet reported.

Goldsmith, frustrated by the ongoing construction in the area, told the HDC, “It seems like it’s kind of a waste,” referencing the constant cycle of demolition and rebuilding on the road.

He also cited the nearby teardown of a 34-year-old mansion previously owned by Yankee Candle founder Michael J. Kittredge.

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“How many more buildings are we going to tear down in this neighborhood?” Goldsmith asked. “It just goes on and on.”

Despite his concerns, Historic District Commission member Ray Pohl emphasized that the HDC’s role is limited to the external architecture and not the broader construction process.

“I feel your pain,” Pohl told Goldsmith in the hearing earlier this year, “but the construction process isn’t really part of our review process … we’re here to talk about the architecture.”

Neither Cohen nor the Historic District Commission have provided any comments on the matter.