The Elliot at River's Edge - Manchester, NH

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Mr. DM

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Progress and pictures of the biggest project in Manchester right now. I think it deserves its own thread now. The announcement was originally in this thread.

Here is the direct Link to the article.

Planner sees clear sailing for medical project

By MARK HAYWARD
New Hampshire Union Leader

MANCHESTER ? A key city planner predicted that permitting for a $100 million healthcare campus on the former Jac Pac Foods site will go smoothly in the coming months.

Planning Board Chairman Todd Connnors said developer Dick Anagnost and his development team appear to be well prepared, and they have presented an attractive, well-thought out project. The planning board took an early peek at The Elliot at River's Edge last night.

Anagnost expects that formal public hearings on the project will be held in March and April. Connors forsees few problems.

"Nothing goes smoother in Manchester like $100 million worth of tax base," Connors said. "There is so much energy behind it. We ask questions, and they already have the answer."

Anagnost has proposed four buildings for the parcel. The centerpiece will be a 236,000-square-foot ambulatory care center operated by Elliot Hospital. Tenants have committed to half the space in an adjacent 107,000-square-foot medical office building, Anagnost said.

201elliottaerialview_317px.jpg

An aerial view of the proposed $100 million Elliot at River's Edge healthcare campus.

A smaller retail building and a 24-unit residential building will be east of the medical buildings. Four acres of park land on the east bank of the Merrimack River round out the project. Architectural drawings can be seen at UnionLeader.com.

Anagnost said he expects construction will begin in August or September. Construction should be completed by spring or summer 2010. Anagnost said he does not have a general contractor as of yet. He has prepared a request for qualifications for a construction management company and expects to select one later this month.

In the meantime, he has several challenges ahead. He has applied to the state Department of Environmental Services for Brownfields designation, which gives him access to environmental cleanup funds and protection from contamination discovered in the future, he said.

Several variances will be needed, including one for height of the buildings. The city limits building height to 45 feet in the redevelopment zone, and the ambulatory center will be about 60 feet in height.

201elliottqueencity_220px.jpg

This is how the proposed construction would look from the Queen City Bridge.

201elliottriverwalk_220px.jpg

This is how the proposed construction would look from the Riverwalk.


The two medical buildings will front the river, with balcony-like platforms on upper levels and a plate-like roof that slopes gently toward the east.

A 1,200-car parking deck will be closest to the river. Trees along the river are expect to shield the parking deck from highway views, said Adam Wagner of Cube 3, the Massachusetts architectural firm designing the project.

And the medical buildings will tower over the parking decks. The first floor of the medical buildings will be level with the top of the parking decks, given the slope of the property.

Planning board member Peter Capano wants brick used for the exterior. Building materials, which have yet to be selected, will provide a "modern interpretation" of the Millyard and could be brick or another "masonary product," said Nicholas Middleton, partner and chief executive of Cube 3.

"That's cement," Capano said about masonry.
Click to expand...
 
This is a nice project for this part of Manchester. The riverfront has come a long way the last 10 years!
 
This looks very nice! Glad to see that a project of this size has so much support.
 
Ya, this is quite impressive. You don't see projects this nice in Manchester, I like this a lot. Maybe this could be a footprint for future development in Manchester...
 
Yes, I too believe this is a good project that fits in this part of the city.

I hope that:
A - The trees will cover the parking lots as well as they developer says, otherwise that?s one ugly addition to the river front.
B - The exterior material can match the pictures.

The developer, Rick Anagnost, has a few projects going and appears to have a lot of faith in Manchester. I am glade that the city is being cooperative; we shall see how the public hearings go in March!

As an example, I hope the people working on Hackett Hill (the last major track of undeveloped land in Manchester) are taking notes. I want something denser in the city center though.
 
Mr. DM said:
A - The trees will cover the parking lots as well as they developer says, otherwise that?s one ugly addition to the river front.
Click to expand...
Trees cover parking lots in satellite photos and fables told by developers.
 
I'm a fan of parking garages being part of a complex's design, with the office space on top and parking below and maybe retail on ground level and stuff like that.

I will look for some more information on this project, but just based on these few pictures and that it's a healthcare campus it seems similar to Portland's new Mercy Hospital complex on the Fore River in Portland. The Mercy project also has a lot of parking with strategically placed trees.
 
River's Edge gets closer to reality

By BENJAMIN KEPPLE
New Hampshire Union Leader Staff
23 hours, 48 minutes ago

MANCHESTER ? Elliot at River's Edge project, a massive health-care campus planned for the old Jac Pac Foods site south of downtown, now has the approval of the state Health Services Planning and Review Board.

The board's approval yesterday was crucial for the project, which some have called the largest development in Manchester since the Mall of New Hampshire.

"This was the big one for us," said Doug Dean, the Elliot Health System's chief executive. "We're really thrilled to have this. It's a major step for us to take toward making this project a reality."

The project still requires some city approvals before ground can be broken at the site, just off Queen City Avenue. But things are moving along there, too.

Project developer Dick Anagnost said the city's Building and Planning & Community Development departments were reviewing the site plan for the project, and they could give their approval in a couple of weeks. Public hearings would follow.

Anagnost also said the state had approved the Jac Pac property as a brownfields site, meaning federal funds can be used to help clean the pollution there. As for the review board's decision, Anagnost said it was "wonderful."

"It's great for health care, great for the Elliot and great for the city of Manchester," Anagnost said.

Civic leaders, who have strongly supported the project, were also pleased.

"I'm thrilled for the city they were able to get unanimous approval for their Certificate of Need," said Manchester Mayor Frank Guinta.

Dean hoped construction work on the complex would start sometime this fall, and said the hospital was in the process of arranging financing for the project.

"We're certainly appreciative of all the support for this we've received from the community," Dean said.

Elliot's portion of the overall development is expected to cost about $86 million. The project in total will cost more than $100 million.

The hospital plans to offer urgent care and myriad services, ranging from physical rehabilitation to outpatient cardiac care at the location. The project's centerpiece is a four-story, 236,000-square-foot building.

In 2004, the city paid $3.5 million for the 13-acre Jac Pac site, which is next to the Merrimack River. The company bought the site from Tyson Foods Inc., which closed the plant in February of that year. A little later, Anagnost paid $3.6 million for the site.

In October 2007, Anagnost and Elliot unveiled their plans for the site. Among the other structures planned for the Elliot at River's Edge are a four-story medical office building, a three-story apartment complex with between 35 and 50 units, and a 13,000-square-foot retail store. Two additions to the main medical building, totaling 120,000 square feet, would be built as needed.

The construction effort to build the complex should create at least 250 to 300 jobs.

"Ultimately, it will prove to be an anchor for revitalizing the south end of Elm Street," said Robin Comstock, president of the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce.

Comstock said the review board's approval was "an exciting first step" in bringing the project to fruition.

418a1elliot.jpg


http://www.unionleader.com/article....rticleId=6a735364-fe56-4f3b-ac73-a5bc39822015
 
I wish something nicer were on the river itself, those parking structures are not very interesting.
 
$100M riverside plan gets early OK

By MARK HAYWARD
New Hampshire Union Leader
18 hours, 39 minutes ago

MANCHESTER ? Elliot Hospital's $100 million riverside development cleared two early hurdles last night, when city regulators granted variances and wrapped up a planning board public hearing into the project.

The actions took place at a rare joint meeting of the zoning and planning boards at City Hall. The boards heard plans to convert the former Jac Pac Foods meatpacking plant into Elliot at River's Edge, a mixed-use development that includes a medical-office building, an hospital-run urgent-care and ambulatory-care center, 24 units of residential space and a small retail building.

"We're very pleased with the progress we made here tonight," said Dick Anagnost, the Manchester-area developer who is partnering with Elliot Hospital on the project.

The variances allow 4 1/2 and five-story buildings, rather than the maximum of four called for in the redevelopment zone. It also allows Anagnost to build a 13,000-square-foot retail building about 8 feet from Queen City Avenue, rather than the 20 foot setback called for in ordinances.


The zoning board voted 4-1 to issue the variances, with member Brian Defosses objecting to building the retail store so close to Queen City Avenue. It may obscure visibility for drivers, and if the avenue is ever widened, the store's location will be a problem, he said.

Six members of the planning board voted to close the hearing, which restricts the board from considering additional material.

Several members wanted to keep the hearing open, so they could learn more about building design, architectural details, signs and, especially, impacts to the intersection of Queen City Avenue and Second Street. Two-thirds of the 1,800 cars that leave Elliot at River's Edge during the evening rush-hour will head west on Queen City Avenue, which works out to about two cars every 5 seconds, board member Peter Capano pointed out.

But newly named Chairman Michael Landry said the board had a look at the project months ago during a preliminary hearing, and neighbors had not raised objections to any of the outstanding issues.

The Planning Board must issue permits in the coming weeks before work can start.

A handful of neighbors did criticize aspects of the project. Jefferson Street resident Ralph Johns said the city has enough apartments as it is, and questioned the need for residential development. Jefferson Street resident Walter Chrzaszcz objected to an upgrade of Gas Street, which will link the development to Elm Street through the Manchester Transit Authority terminal.

Gas Street will run into Jefferson Street, bringing patient traffic and cut-through traffic right by Chrzaszcs' house.

"This is a nice plan, but the problem is this is a residential area," Chrzaszcz said. For decades, Jefferson Street has been a quiet dead-end street, he said.

A rerouting of Gas Street would avoid the neighborhood, he said.

But Anaganost said the MTA objects to Chrzaszcz's proposed route because it will lose space needed for buses. The final decision will be up to Manchester aldermen, not the developer, Anagnost said.


http://www.unionleader.com/article....rticleId=f0e3c2f6-a919-4f98-99f3-2d33fbe02b4d
 
River's Edge gets go-ahead

By MARK HAYWARD
New Hampshire Union Leader

MANCHESTER ? Manchester regulators approved relocation of Elliot Hospital's ambulatory care services to the banks of the Merrimack River, giving the slowing construction industry a $100 million shot in the outpatient arm.

Manchester developer Dick Anagnost said groundbreaking should take place in October for Elliot at River's Edge. The redevelopment project will transform the shuttered Jac Pac Foods meat packing property, which is located off Queen City Avenue close to the Merrimack River.

The centerpiece is a four-story, 236,000-square-foot ambulatory care center, where Elliot will move all of its outpatient care. Plans also entail a parking garage, medical office building, 24 townhouses and a 13,000-square-foot retail building.

Once completed, the city will receive title to four acres of riverfront land, which will be used for a city park.

Anagnost has told the six general contractors vying to build the project that all hires must be New Hampshire residents, he said.

That includes project managers, superintendents, subcontractors, tradesmen and laborers, he said.

"If I'm going to spend $100 million, and I'm going through all this effort and we're in a recession, I want New Hampshire to benefit from it," Anagnost said last night.

Similar requirements are attached to the $36 million Job Corps center that will be built off Dunbarton Road, he said. He begins interviewing the finalists for general contractor in the second week of July.

The Planning Board approved three waivers, two conditional use permits, a site plan and a planned development application associated with the project.

The approvals came quickly; the public hearing on the project was held a mere month ago. But Board Chairman Michael Landry noted that a preliminary review took place in February.

"They had excellent engineers and architects. We're satisfied. It's a solid project; it's well thought out; it's well needed," Landry said. He said Anagnost must return to the board before he develops the townhouses and the retail space.

http://www.unionleader.com/article....rticleId=fbeb53e9-a61d-4b28-944a-227b3f1635c3
 
Glad to see this is moving forward. It's a great project for Manch-vegas. I hope that it will spur more development along this part of Elm St. God knows it's needed!
 
Let the construction begin!

From Union Leader website Re-posted here because their articles go into a pay to view Archive after a few months.

By BENJAMIN KEPPLE
New Hampshire Union Leader Staff

MANCHESTER ? The old Jac Pac Foods plant on Hancock Street was consigned to history yesterday as one of its buildings was imploded during a groundbreaking ceremony for The Elliot at River's Edge project.

The spectacle drew hundreds of people to the site of the old meat-packing plant near the Merrimack River. Along with the implosion, which tore a corner out of one old building on the site, a massive excavator also went to work, tearing down part of an adjoining building as if it was made of straw. As this went on, upbeat disco music played over a sound system.

Among the crowd, there was nothing but enthusiasm for the $100 million complex that will eventually rise in place of the meat-packing plant.

"I think it's exciting that a new hospital is coming in here," said Manchester resident Pat Carter, who said two brothers and her brother-in-law worked at the old Jac Pac plant. "I can't wait to see it happen. It's going to bring jobs for people who need jobs. Right now, it's just sitting."

"I think it's a great idea. This thing looks like garbage," said Jim Beard, a Manchester resident. "That'll keep a lot of people working for a while. It's going to require a lot of resources."

Yesterday's event marked a big turning point in the history of the site, which was once the home of Granite State Packing Co., later Jac Pac Foods.

Tyson came to own the plant after a series of changes in ownership. In 1998, Jac Pac merged with Houston-based Corporate Brand Foods America. Meat processor IBP Inc. bought CBFA in 2000, while the next year, Tyson Foods Inc. bought IBP. In early 2004, Tyson shut down the plant, which put about 550 people out of work.

According to developer Dick Anagnost, the remainder of the old Jac Pac complex will be torn down over the next three months. Workers must still remove asbestos and other materials from some of the buildings. The old office building, the one-story brick structure closest to Hancock Street, will remain as an office for use during construction, Anagnost said.

At least 500 workers will have a hand in building The Elliot at River's Edge, while an estimated 250 people will be employed at the complex once it opens.

Plans call for The Elliot at River's Edge to be finished in 2010. The centerpiece of the project will be an urgent care operation, which will provide care for people with unplanned medical issues, but not traumas or life-threatening health problems.

"We think it's lower cost, we think it's higher quality and we think when people have an opportunity to utilize it, they will find it far superior to an emergency room," said Doug Dean, Elliot Health System's chief executive.

The Elliot at River's Edge will also offer outpatient surgery, imaging services such as X-rays and CAT scans, and outpatient cardiac care. Additionally, the complex will have a medical office building, an apartment building, and a retail store.
Click to expand...

Video (Small explosion and one big building destroyer):
Video Clip
 
Sweet! I was worried there were going to be some setbacks with the recent financial crisis, but it doesn't look like there is.
 
Does anyone know what is taking so long with this, it broke ground over a year ago, and it's still just a hole next to the Queen City Bridge.
 
The area was a trainyard as well as the JacPac plant, so there was probably a lot of contamination. It shouldn't be much longer for things to start taking shape.
 
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