People and Property: Real Estate and Construction News From Around NH

Public hungry for information on the tax impact of Bow community building project

For long-time residents like John Martin, the lack of action on the Bow community building over the past decade is frustrating.

“We’ve had this building for many years just kind of lingering on the mind. I think it’s just mismanagement when they could have been working on it a little at a time, every year for life-safety issues,” Martin said at a listening session last week.

Town officials say they can no longer put off addressing the issues in the 1959 community center on Bow Center Road because of a mandate from the fire marshal to bring the aging structure up to code or devise a viable plan by 2025.

“If we keep kicking the can down the road, eventually the fire marshal is going to say. ‘Enough, you’re not giving us an answer, we got to do something or close the doors,’” said Chris Andrews, the town’s buildings and facilities manager. “But as long as we have a plan and the town is committed to the plan, meaning they are funding the capital reserves to pay for that plan, that’ll satisfy the fire marshal for the foreseeable future.”

While the repair or construction of the building might be years away, an immediate step is to set aside $500,000 into the capital reserve fund, a matter that will be discussed at the upcoming town meeting in March.

Even if the town opts not to renovate or construct a new building, demolition would cost around $420,000, with an additional $110,000 for asbestos abatement.

The existing community building raises several safety concerns, including the lack of a sprinkler system, the absence of firewalls between gathering areas and the kitchen and the presence of hazardous materials. It is not ADA compliant, and it falls short of life safety standards, severely limiting the use of its space, with only the gym area considered usable.

“This floor is not acceptable to play basketball,” said Danielle Albushies, a committee member tasked with addressing the building’s future. “So there are lots of groups that aren’t accessing this building, it can’t be used in the summer, and it’s not safe to have lots of kids running around in the building with no AC in which they can get overheated.”

Three plans for the community building were presented at an earlier listening session. However, critical information residents were keen on learning was left out – the tax impact of each option.

“This is a second meeting in the room where the answer to that question is, ‘We don’t know, it’s too hard to figure out,’” said Michael Mayo about the tax impact.

Even a rough estimate of the tax impact was not provided, and the group tasked with developing a plan for the town-owned facility said too many variables complicate the answer.

While the options presented are not final, and the community building committee is looking for input from the town, the cheapest option, at $3.76 million, involves bringing the current building in line with ADA standards and elevating it to meet life safety requirements.

Another option is to improve the existing structure through an extensive renovation, which includes a 7,865-square-foot addition for expanded gym facilities, upgraded bathrooms, adaptable multipurpose spaces, and air conditioning systems. That proposal is expected to cost $6.55 million.

On the other end, the most expensive choice is constructing a $13.41 million structure across the street, which would obstruct the town’s beloved sledding hill.

“You can’t put it across the street. There’s no way you can because the town is going to go absolutely berserk if you touch that sledding hill,” said Martin, with most of the residents in the room applauding in agreement.  — Sruthi Gopalakrishnan/Concord Monitor

Ben Brown, Market Square Architects

Ben Brown named Associate at Market Square Architects

Market Square Architects, PLLC, has appointed Ben Brown as the firm’s first Associate. Currently serving as director of business development and marketing, Brown will continue in this role while also advancing the firm’s operational and strategic planning efforts.

Founded in 2016 by Adam Wagner, AIA, and Robert Harbeson, AIA, Market Square Architects is a full-service architecture and interior design firm. With offices in Portsmouth, NH, Austin, Texas, St. Louis, Missouri, and Nashville, Tennessee, the firm specializes in multifamily housing, senior living, industrial, education, health care, custom residential and retail.

“Ben Brown has played an integral role on our team, and we are thrilled to appoint him as the first Associate at Market Square Architects,” said Adam Wagner, co-founder of Market Square Architects. “His leadership and collaborative approach have been instrumental to our firm’s success.”

“I am honored to take on this new role and contribute to the continued success of Market Square Architects” said Brown. “The firm’s dedication to excellence and client satisfaction aligns with my professional values, and I am excited to advance our mission together.”

Exeter Area New Car Dealers donates $107.9K towards Camp Lincoln Amphitheater repair

The Exeter Area New Car Dealers Association contributed $107,900 towards the repair of the Camp Lincoln Amphitheater, which serves as a hub of activities for kids attending Camp. Recognizing the importance of this space, the Exeter Area New Car Dealers Association stepped forward to ensure its restoration and continued contribution to the community.

The donation will help revitalize the amphitheater to its past glory while preserving the surrounding nature of the site.

“We are profoundly grateful to the Exeter Area New Car Dealers Association for their extraordinary generosity and commitment to the Camp Lincoln. Their significant contribution is a testament to their dedication to the YMCA mission and their unwavering support of community spaces that bring people together as well as the children and youth in this community,” said Kimberly Masucci, CEO of the Southern District YMCA.

Recipients chosen for 32nd Annual Historic Preservation Awards

The Manchester Historic Association (MHA) has selected six honorees for its 32nd Annual Historic Preservation Awards, including a Neighborhood Preservation Award to NeighborWorks Southern New Hampshire for the RENEW II Project at the Smith & Dow Block (1426 Elm St.) and Carpenter & Bean Block (1382 Elm St.).

The event will be held on May 21 at the Dana Center for the Performing Arts at Saint Anselm College.

The Historic Preservation Awards program recognizes and supports the efforts of individuals, businesses and organizations that have made significant contributions to the preservation of buildings, neighborhoods, traditions, and other historic resources in the Queen City.

Lollipops replica at Brady Sullivan Plaza (Nostalgia Award recipient)

In addition to the Neighborhood Preservation Award, the Historic Preservation Award honorees are:

Homeowner’s Award

Craig St. Pierre for the Clarence M. Dodge House, 278 Myrtle Street

Design Award

Manchester Fire Department Station 9 (575 Calef Road) for incorporating historical elements related to Manchester firefighting

Private Development Award

Richard Dryer, Dryer Management Inc. for 901 Union Street

Restoration of a City Landmark Award

Saint Joseph Cathedral, 145 Lowell Street

Nostalgia Award

Brady Sullivan Properties for the replica of the “Lollipops” sculpture

“We received many impressive nominations this year, making the selection process particularly competitive,” said MHA Executive Director Jeff Barraclough.  “I am very impressed with this year’s recipients.  Each project reflects the care that the nominees took in preserving a part of Manchester’s history.”

New bill to support transitional housing for individuals with mental health illness

Jessica Renda didn’t realize that things were about to get difficult when her eldest daughter was discharged last summer from New Hampshire Hospital, a state-run psychiatric facility.

After treatment for her mental health illness, Renda’s daughter, now 23, needed a place to live where she would get the supportive care to help her get back on her feet. Due to the family’s situation, the ideal option was transitional housing.

But the waiting list for transitional housing that would provide the counseling, medication and support to find a job, stretched for months.

With four younger kids at home, Renda couldn’t take her older daughter home either.

Faced with limited options, she made a difficult decision for one night: placing her daughter in a homeless shelter for women.

“We were really struggling with how to find her a place to live,” said Renda, 47, who lives in Milford. “That was probably one of the most stressful times as a mother to be like, ‘I have to put my daughter in a homeless shelter.’ That is not a good situation for people with mental health issues.”

Renda’s situation echoes a common challenge for many others in inpatient psychiatric facilities.

Across the state, 19 patients who are stable for discharge are waiting at New Hampshire Hospital for a transitional housing bed to free up, according to the Department of Health and Human Services update on Tuesday.

Senate Bill 410 attempts to address this issue by establishing a fund that provides up to $25,000 per bed to either support existing transitional housing or establish new ones in the community for individuals facing mental health challenges. The bill further allocates funds to cover the financial deficits in operating these housing services.

State Senator Becky Whitley, the bill’s prime sponsor, said these important services for individuals with mental health illness come at a cost for Community Mental Health Centers.

“This is particularly problematic for supportive housing because there is no Medicaid reimbursement, almost no state funds provided so that means that all supportive housing Programs operated by CMHCs do operate at a financial loss,” said Whitley, a Hopkinton Democrat.

Riverbend Community Mental Health, a nonprofit offering behavioral services runs three residential programs but it is under financial strain.

For transitional housing for 10 residents, the mental health provider loses about $250,000 annually, said Lisa Madden, CEO at Riverbend Community Mental Health.

“We have a mission to keep those available in the community and are very committed to that,” Madden said at a Senate hearing last week. “But as our resources continue to struggle, we do not have access to additional COVID supports or things along that line, it’s getting harder and harder to keep them functioning.”

Renda kept hoping to find transitional housing for her daughter, but the wait was too long and her daughter was reluctant to remain in the hospital.

“100% that would be the best option for her,” she said. “They aren’t long term but having that in-between setting to help her get a little more stable would have helped.”

Insufficient transitional housing resources not only impact those who are waiting but also contribute to the prolonged waitlist for inpatient psychiatric beds — a persistent shortage in New Hampshire.

Those who could be discharged from New Hampshire Hospital take up space that they no longer need, while individuals who require acute psychiatric treatment wait in hospital emergency rooms for a treatment bed to free up.

The bill also helps to achieve the state’s “Mission Zero” plan which seeks to eliminate the boarding of psychiatric patients in emergency departments by 2025.

As a mother who has witnessed her eldest daughter’s struggles with mental health and behavioral issues since the age of 15, including hospitalizations, the bill brings relief for Renda.

“I think there’s a huge need for more transitional housing and this bill is wonderful,” she said. “I can’t imagine how many people when there’s not enough space for them just start to go back out to living on the streets.” — Sruthi Gopalakrishnan/Concord Monitor