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

Colleen Cowette

Agent Confidential, a new marketing firm dedicated focusing on the real estate industry has been launched in Manchester. The firm’s co-founders are longtime marketing specialists Colleen Cowette and Ami D’Amelio, the firm will serves independent real estate agents and brokerages with individualized strategic marketing planning and execution, including online and offline

Ami D’Amelio

marketing, social media, video, print, and promotional solutions. Cowette serves as strategic consultant and D’Amelio is the account director.

A major downtown mixed-use development, including a boutique hotel and restaurant, has received its certificate of approval from a unanimous Portsmouth Historic District Commission. The 1 Congress St. project, proposed by developer Mark McNabb, involves renovating and restoring two historic buildings and constructing a three-story addition on what is now a surface parking lot. The site is located across the street from North Church. The development seeks to make the area “pedestrian friendly,” while allowing Haven Court to become a connection essentially between the “McIntyre (federal building) and the Bridge Street lot,” said architect Tracy Kozak.

A Salem poker room has been granted conditional approval by the town’s planning board to expand into a vacant former Kmart department store across the street from its current location. Plans for the new Chasers Poker Room at 161 South Broadway were approved for 490 electronic games and 160 table games, a total of 650 seats. It will continue to have tables at the original location as well. Anticipated business at the second Chasers spot is expected to help double charitable contributions, growing to $10 million for more than 40 local organizations, it estimated.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has awarded a $500,000 grant to Catholic Medical Center in Manchester to support construction and improvements to CMC’s Emergency Department Behavioral Health Annex, which is aimed at helping to meet the growing behavioral health and substance use disorder treatment needs. The renovation and expansion project will include a new Behavioral Health Annex with additional beds and rooms. The grant was announced by U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, who secured the funding.