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

The Boulos Company releases its 2024 New Hampshire Market Outlook Report

The Boulos Company, Northern New England’s premier commercial real estate brokerage, released its 2024 New Hampshire Market Outlook. In this year’s report, Boulos brokers share insights on New Hampshire’s office and industrial markets in downtown Portsmouth and the greater Seacoast, new construction along the I-93 corridor, and more.

“We’re pleased to offer the community an in-depth guide to the Seacoast’s commercial real estate landscape,” said Christopher Stephenson, Vice President of Operations & Marketing at The Boulos Company. “Our team is at the forefront of the significant changes that continue to play out in the market—shifting interest rates, property conversions, and evolving return-to-office policies. This report provides our brokers’ expert analyses of these trends and offers guidance for the year ahead.”

“This is our 24th year covering the Seacoast’s office and industrial markets,” said Kent White of Boulos’ Portsmouth office. “Not only does the Market Outlook provide our clients with valuable information and an educated forecast as they navigate an ever-changing market, but the history of our reports also offers great context for gauging current and future trends.”

The 2024 New Hampshire Market Outlook is available to download on The Boulos Company’s website and can also be requested in print.

A permanent outdoor bar may come to Tuscan Village

Tuscan Village is looking to add a permanent beer garden to its expansive property.

The site’s development team will present the beer garden proposal at the next Planning Board meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 27, at Salem Town Hall in the Knightly Meeting Room, 33 Geremonty Drive.

While the structure will stay up year-round at the space at 11 Via Toscana, the outdoor bar will only be open seasonally during good weather, said Mark Gross of Tuscan Village Development.

The proposal looks to have the beer garden operating seven days a week, from non to 9 p.m., when it’s open.

It will occupy the property’s central space where the village hosts its temporary beer garden and different food trucks near Lake Park, the Grand Lawn and Tuscan Market.

This plan comes as an updated proposed use of the building 1400 pad, according to Tuscan Village’s site plan submitted to the Planning Board.

The proposed area has undergone many changes over the past several years. The first beer garden at Tuscan Village, Smuttynose Beer Garden, was approved in 2021.

Since then, Tuscan developers have updated the site, but there were no change in the number of seats available for patrons.

The major difference being proposed in this site plan is an increase in seating. The space will have a permanent bar structure which will provide more seating at the bar and around it.

Right now, Tuscan Village has food trucks and a temporary bathroom trailer in the proposed location, as well as a wood-burning pizza oven, refrigerated and dry goods storage containers and two container bars.

Under the new site plan, there is no mention of food trucks or a bathroom trailer.

The proposal does increase seating in the beer garden area from 248 to 290 seats.

The new plan would add more seats around the fire pits, picnic tables, the center bar and a game area.

It also adds more of Tuscan’s popular fire pits. There are five fire pits at Tuscan allowing for 20 people to sit around them.

The site plan adds three more round fire pits and five rectangular pits for up to 72 people to enjoy.

They are also seeking a conditional use permit for parking since no onsite parking will be available.

According to Gross’s letter to the Planning Board, 145 parking spaces are required for the 290-seat plan since it falls under a restaurant category. But the beer garden will only add 42 spaces and remains under the shortfall of 1,875 spaces approved for the South and Central Villages.

He said the site offers other parking lots near the beer garden. — Angelina Berube/Eagle Tribune

NH Liquor Commission to open newest NH Liquor & Wine Outlet in Nashua

The New Hampshire Liquor Commission (NHLC) will open a new 12,500-square-foot NH Liquor & Wine Outlet in Nashua February 21. The new state-of-the-art Outlet will be one of three in Nashua and will feature an expansive array of more than 4,000 wines and spirits. NHLC is relocating the existing Nashua Outlet currently in the Westside Plaza to a freestanding building located at 6 Northwest Boulevard.

“NHLC is continuously making strategic investments to improve the shopping experience for our 12 million annual customers,” said NHLC Chairman Joseph Mollica. “Our new Nashua NH Liquor & Wine Outlet is conveniently located and easily accessible to Nashua residents and the traveling public. We look forward to welcoming our guests at this new location where we will deliver great service and name brand products at superior savings.”

The highly anticipated Nashua NH Liquor & Wine Outlet is strategically located alongside well-known regional and national retailers within the Westside Plaza including Market Basket, Marshalls and HomeGoods. Customers will experience special sections devoted to ultra-premium spirits and high-end wine, video displays throughout the store showcasing exclusive NHLC news and offers, spacious aisles and high-efficiency LED fixtures.

Since 2012, NHLC has renovated, relocated or constructed more than 40 NH Liquor & Wine Outlet locations in 36 communities. Additionally, NHLC recently announced it is building a new 20,000-square-foot Outlet in the Market Basket Plaza on the Keene/Swanzey border, positioned to draw customers from New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts and Connecticut. It anticipates delivery at the end of 2024.

NHLC has been continuously recognized for its successful business practices among leading retailers in the alcohol beverage control system. NHLC was recently honored with “Best Retail Innovation” by StateWays Magazine, the only nationwide magazine devoted to issues and subjects impacting the beverage alcohol control state system. In 2023, Beverage Dynamics named NHLC one of the top-10 retailers in the U.S. for the fourth year in a row, beating out several large, private and national competitors.

Divided budget committee give thumbs down to rental inspection article

 A majority of Conway Municipal Budget Committee members last Wednesday voted against recommending selectmen’s rental inspection warrant article. Residents will decide at the polls in April.

Selectmen last year created a program where both long- and short-term rental units would need to be inspected by fire officials for safety purposes and given a certificate of compliance. Each rental property owner would have to pay a fee of several hundred dollars.

Residents will have the opportunity to discuss Article 24 at deliberative session on March 6.

On Wednesday the budget committee voted on whether to recommend the article. Ultimately, they voted 7-6 not to do so.

Voting to oppose the article were Steve Angers, Randy Davison, Frank Jost, Jim LeFebvre, Quentin Lewis, Stacy Sand and Steven Steiner. Voting in favor of the article were chair Peter Donohoe, Bob Drinkhall, Dave Jensen, Michael Lacey, Bill Marvel and selectmen’s representative Ryan Shepard. Budgeteer Ellin Leonard abstained.

Davison said landlords already have strict insurance mandates to comply with, so the town’s program is unnecessary.

“I think that the town is overreaching again and into our pockets, and I don’t think that we should be paying them the fees that they’re putting forward,” said Davison, who later added the program would increase costs for renters and will also lead to court battles.

Steiner, a commercial Realtor, said it could save lives by making rentals safer, but it could be overregulation and might take away property rights.

Marvel said: “I would be much more amenable to (the town rental inspection program), if it were part of a process to root out and hang STR owners.”

The article set off some fireworks between Sand and Shepard.

Sand, also a Realtor, suggested that the town embarked on this program after it lost a state Supreme Court case on regulating short-term rentals and now the town needs to find something for staff to do.

“We hired these people because we had hopes in court that we were going to be able to basically follow through and get rid of the Airbnbs,” said Sand. “When we lost in court, then we needed to find something for this person to do. And I think this would be a really great place where we could cut back on town staff, and, and basically not being as intrusive as this program is.”

Shepard dismissed Sand’s theory that the rental inspection program is just busy work for staff. “I cannot agree with that argument in any way, shape, or form, that would be phenomenally stupid on so many levels,” said Shepard. “That’s not the reason why we’re doing this.”