Developer plans a building for builders in Hudson

The recession has slowed the construction industry to a near crawl, but that won’t stop the development of a building in Hudson that’s designed solely to accommodate small contractors.It will feature wide-bay garages that will lead to mezzanine offices. Contractors can store equipment and vehicles in the garages, and conduct office work above, according to the project’s architect.”It will be set up nicely for contractors,” said Gary Hendren, owner of Hendren Design Associates in Boston. “They can bring in and store their materials, and do all their paperwork upstairs.”The building will sit on busy Lowell Road, at the corner of Pelham Road.An old house once sat on the spot. It was home base to a Realtor but was abandoned several years ago. The spacious and well-kept land to the back was neglected. Hendren designed the structure for the contractor workshops. Hera Development of Boston is constructing it. The owner is Hudson Plaza LLC. Hendren said the LLC comprises several parties; the secretary of state’s office lists it as a Newton, Mass., company.Constructing a building for commercial use would appear to be a risky endeavor as the economy slowly pulls out of a recession. And creating a structure for contractors who specialize in construction and other building endeavors would seem to be an even riskier proposition.Dennis Delay, an economist with the New Hampshire Center for Public Policy Studies, said construction in New Hampshire will be relatively slow for the foreseeable future. It will probably pick up in two or three years, he said.But Hendren said that despite the slow economy, contractors are still active and need a multidimensional work space. And those who lost employment want to continue working and will give it a go on a small scale, he said.”I think it’s recognized that a lot of contracting companies have shrunk,” Hendren said.But a “skilled mechanic from a large company who was laid off” or smaller firms spun off from large companies need a place to store materials and tend to office duties, he said.The building will have 10 garages and 10 attached offices. Hendren expects the steel, 13,273-square-foot building to be completed next year.”It’s a fairly simple building,” Hendren said.He added: “The first time I did this style, of incubator spaces, was probably back in 1985. They’re specifically meant for small businesses to use.” – ALBERT MCKEON/THE TELEGRAPH