Nahant readies response to NU’s $25 million demand

NAHANT — The town has until July 26 to respond to Northeastern University’s legal motion calling for Nahant to pay $25 million worth of damages in the aftermath of an Essex County Superior Court eminent-domain case involving 12.5 acres of land at East Point.

In April, the court sided with Northeastern’s defense, which argued that Nahant’s “dominant” reason for wanting to take the land, which is owned by Northeastern, was to block the university from expanding its Marine Science Center or any other potential development, as opposed to preserving open space, recreation, or wildlife area. 

Following the judgment, Northeastern submitted a damages claim. Approximately $24 million is attributed to construction delays for the university’s Marine Science Center expansion caused by the ongoing litigation between 2021 and 2024.

Board of Selectmen Chair Josh Antrim said he is confident that the damages will ultimately be greatly reduced or dismissed entirely.

“We of course have to take this claim very seriously, and we are,” Antrim said. “It’s our responsibility to take it very seriously.”

Antrim additionally revealed that the town also made an interlocutory appeal, which involves appealing the motion to a different judge. However, the judge elected not to intervene.

“It was a little bit of a long shot,” Antrim said. “It’s not something that’s commonly done… these types of petitions rarely get approved.”

On behalf of the town and the Nahant Preservation Trust, Attorney Harley Racer of Lurie Friedman LLP appealed the original summary judgment to Northeastern on the grounds of public dedication. The town claims that the university had previously informed the town that it intended to dedicate a portion of its land to the public. Racer said that the decision on the appeal should be released soon, as the 130-day window for a decision is coming to a close.