Manchester Infill & Small Developments

FrankLloydMike said:
Speaking of people running for mayor, the UL is reporting that Alderman Garth Corriveau is considering a run. I've been in touch with Alderman Corriveau a bit about LivableMHT, and he's been encouraging and supportive of the ideas espoused by the site. I know relatively little about most of the aldermen, but I believe Garth Corriveau is the youngest, and likely the most informed about and supportive of urban development and livability issues. I think he'd make a great year, but it will be tough running against a well-known incumbent and I'd hate to lose his voice on the Board of Mayor and Aldermen. Since I don't live in Manchester, I'll refrain from making any sort of endorsements on LivableMHT, though I'd welcome any residents to submit contributions supporting any candidates for their views on livability and urban development as the election nears.
Click to expand...
It would be nice to have a more urban minded mayor.
 
I also just saw a nice article in NH magazine about the Manchester Food Co-op and Monadnock Co-op, both of which are in the planning stages. The article mentions the likelihood that the co-op will go in either on the West Side or in the Millyard. I hope we'll see a nice, locally focused grocery store like this going in to an interesting space in one of the mills or as part of a redevelopment project on the West Side, maybe in Granite Square or the old Vista, both of which could use some re-urbanizing. Anyway, I think the Co-op will provide a very tangible example of local, urban-focused thinking, and a place where a lot of urban-minded people might be likely to be involved.
 
A new sculpture is being officially unveiled downtown today. In my view, "Crosswalk" is probably the most interesting pieces of public art to be added to the city, and it's at a very prominent spot where Granite and Old Granite Streets meet along the major gateway to the city. It's also the entrance to the Gaslight District, which has yet to really take off, but is poised to be a great, distinct area just south of downtown. While I'm not sure the eventual transit center will still be able to go there, the site is also right near the historic (and until recently planned) site of the city's major train station. I'd love to see people disembarking from a train, walking up the gentle hill of Old Granite past shops and restaurants and on to the arena, viewing the sculpture that encapsulates the very act of walking around and being in a city.

crosswalk-john_clayton-union_leader.jpg


John Clayton's In the City column has some brief thoughts from the sculptor.
 
Last edited:
Finally. I like that sculpture a lot. I like how the perspective is form above and the people are warped when looked at from their front.
 
MonopolyBag said:
Finally. I like that sculpture a lot. I like how the perspective is form above and the people are warped when looked at from their front.
Click to expand...

Me too--I think it's really funky and fun, which is how I hope the Gaslight will be perceived as it grows.
 
I was looking at a new bank/condo building (by Berard-Martel of Bedford) in downtown Dover that has won some awards as the first new building to conform to the city's new form-based code, when I came across this project for "Downtown Development." Does anyone have any idea where this is? It doesn't name the city, and I don't recognize the prominent, low, two-story building in the foreground. My guess is that it's not Manchester (though I hope it is), but maybe Nashua or Concord--anyone know?

View2B.jpg
 
seen this online before, I think their site. Long ago. I was guessing it was a generic design they use for advertising. But I may be wrong. Either way it is old and MANY MANY designs like this are put into place and never actually erected. If they were all built our communities would be much more vibrant.
 
Not news really, but Google has updated the satellite view of Manchester--the picture seems clearer, and you can now see recent developments like the Rivers Edge project, the Granite St/Old Granite St upgrades, the Currier expansion, CMC, and it looks like even work underway at the Superior Court, Market Basket and Bedford Mall.
 
I drove by the dog park and nothing there seemed to impressive. Looked like nothing has been done.
 
OK, maybe I just missed it, or something, but it looked pretty much the same as always when I went by.
 
This is a few weeks old now, but NHIA has purchased the old Franco-American Centre building on Concord Street with plans to turn into a new student center. This is great news for the school, the building and the downtown. Along with the other downtown colleges and even more so because it's a residential campus, NHIA has really brought a lot of new life to the city center over the past decade. Its continued expansion and another reuse of an existing, historic building by the school is exciting and promising, especially given the slow pace of new development lately.

b04f73c6701b2f786225f99e949785b2.jpg


I've got a bit more on the topic over at LivableMHT, but hopefully NHIA's presence will help fill in some of the parking lots around Victory Park and make the area more of a vibrant, cultural district downtown.

I've also just posted about the St. Mary's project on the West Side thread, and I'll hopefully go into more on LivableMHT soon.
 
MonopolyBag said:
OK, maybe I just missed it, or something, but it looked pretty much the same as always when I went by.
Click to expand...

I'm guessing it's not going to much of a looker of a park, at least at first, but hopefully it will attract people and get more folks on the bike path, Bass Island Park, Granite Square and the city center in general.
 
Well I would expect and thought it would be a nice park. Green grass, park benches, some trees.
 
The new Police department seems to be going along at a brisk pace.
 
M. Brown said:
The new Police department seems to be going along at a brisk pace.
Click to expand...

If you happen to take any photos, please post them. I'm especially curious since the one rendering I've seen looked pretty schematic. Does it look like the building will front the street pretty well?
 
I was just looking for some information on the recent (and very good) veto of the bill to revoke most of NHRTA's power (HB 218) when I came across an article in the Nashua Telegraph that included the following, which is about the Granite Landing site I presume:

Here's to Manchester
Look for another new state liquor store in Manchester to emerge from the fine print of that capital budget.

Manchester Mayor Ted Gatsas and the State Liquor Commission have made their pitch to add a store in the Queen City directly off the Granite Street southbound ramp close to the downtown.
The city owns the vacant lot where the store would be built and is willing to work out a lease arrangement with the commission to put a store there.

The location is ideal, given its proximity to the F.E. Everett Turnpike and visibility for those going in and out of downtown, including visitors to the Verizon Wireless Arena and Delta Dental Stadium.

If this does come to pass, it will surely allow for plenty of input from the Capital Budget Overview Committee, Long Range Capital Planning Committee and ultimately, the Executive Council, which would have to approve such a lease.

The SLC also wants to get legislative approval to move its store in Chesterfield to land the Department of Transportation owns.

Originally, the state had planned to put a welcome center in this spot, but some of those tourist locales are getting closed and new ones are no longer on the drawing board because of the constrained state budget.
Click to expand...

There is so much potentially bad news in these few, short paragraphs.

First of all, tourism is the biggest (I believe) industry in the state, so welcome centers are no place to skimp--any money spent on attracting and retaining visitors is easily offset. As the largest city in the state, I hope Manchester will eventually attract visitors, even if only as a jumping off point to other, more tourist-driven areas. The city already attracts plenty of people to sporting, cultural and arts venues, as well as business travelers. I don't want to see a highway-style welcome center like those in Nashua, Seabrook and Salem, but something to promote the city and the state in addition to the small kiosk in Veterans Park would be appropriate. On a side note, I hope Manchester, especially given the recent strength of NHIA and other arts venues, will be home to a League of New Hampshire Craftsmen shop someday soon. These mostly populate tourist-oriented villages, but with stores in downtown Nashua and Concord, there's no reason why downtown Manchester shouldn't should host one.

The bigger concern, of course, is that the City might be considering allowing an incredibly valuable and prominent piece of property to be developed as a suburban-style liquor store in a field of parking. Everything I wrote about allowing property to be developed poorly for a quick buck over at the Rivers Edge could be said of the Granite Landing, plus the fact that in the City owns the land and can better control develop at Granite Landing.

I have absolutely no problem with the City developing part of the Granite Landing site with the State in order to accommodate a liquor store, but it should be as a tenant in a larger, mixed-use project. Anything on that site should be at least four stories tall, and hopefully a few more, and should front Granite and Second Streets with a strong, inviting wall of retail and ample pedestrian amenities. Parking can be accommodated hopefully in a garage, or at least in the rear of the building. It could be great if the City made an effort to make an urban-appropriate welcome center on the site--have the liquor store and a state welcome center as tenants, as well as something like the League of NH Craftsmen shop or a tour company, maybe with a mix of hotel and apartments above. Of course, it could also just be an attractive urban block with ground-floor retail including the liquor store, but under no circumstances should there be a single-story, suburban-style development anywhere on the West Side, let alone at the prominent Granite Street gateway.

I'm going to contact the Planning Department to try to get some more info on the project, but for now I'm concerned. Whatever his other merits may be, Mayor Gatsas seems to lack the vision necessary for helping Manchester grow as a vibrant, urban city. I have no doubt that he cares about Manchester, but he doesn't seem to understand what makes cities livable and attractive, and that as the largest city in the state, Manchester doesn't need to kowtow to developers with suburban-inspired ideas. Manchester has a very strong, well-thought-out Master Plan; it's up to the mayor to make sure the city grows according to it.
 
if you look on their site, across from the larger proposed building, there is another plot of land, where a proposed diner or 1 floor retail outlet would be. I think this may be where the liquor store is referring to. However, whether it be a liquor store or a diner, neither IMO is the best as I still think better use of the land could come by a multi floor and multi tenant building. More square footage in same amount of land.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top