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

1053 River Rd.

National heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration wholesale distributor Johnstone Supply has leased 875 Holt Ave., a former Fairpoint Communications location in Manchester. The 55,575-square-foot space, built as a flex building but since converted to offices is being fit up and converted it back to industrial, including adding to the two existing loading docks, a third dock door and overhead door. Chris Healey of The Boulos Company’s Manchester office, Caitlin Burke from its Portsmouth office, Derek Miller of its Portland, Maine, office represented Johnstone.

Landry French hires CFO

Landry/French Construction of Scarborough, Maine, has hired Steven Luken for the newly created position of chief financial officer. Luken, a CPA, has over 25 years of financial experience. He previously worked as director of finance at Chadwick-BaRoss Inc., a construction equipment supplier in Portland.

Manchester Historic Preservation winners named

The Manchester Historic Association has selected five honorees for its 31st annual Historic Preservation Awards, which recognize the efforts of individuals, businesses and organizations that have made contributions to the preservation of buildings, neighborhoods, traditions and other historic resources in the city.  They will be honored at a May 23 event at Saint Anselm College.

Winners are: City Landmark Award, city of Manchester for the restoration of the Civil War Memorial at Veterans Park; Homeowner’s Award, Michael and Lynn Murphy for their home at 1053 River Rd.; Adaptive Reuse Award, Linda Murphy of Bare Knuckle Murphy’s Boxing for 163 Lake Ave.; Stewardship Award,

Grace Episcopal Church for Grace House at 98 Lowell St., and Lifetime Achievement Award, Justine “Brownie” Gengras.

Honorary chair of the Historic Preservation Awards is Claira Pirozzi Monier, former executive director of New Hampshire Housing. For more information about the awards and the event, visit manchesterhistoric.org or call 603-622-7531.

NH Preservation Awards nominations sought

The NH Preservation Alliance is seeking nominations for its annual Preservation Achievement Awards, which recognize individuals, organizations and businesses in the categories of restoration and stewardship, rehabilitation and adaptive use, compatible new construction, public policy and educational and planning initiatives. The awards will be presented on May 19th at the Preservation Alliance’s statewide conference in Claremont.

Deadline for submissions is March 24. Nomination materials are available at nhpreservation.org, or can be secured by emailing projects@nhpreservation.org.

Three join Badger Peabody Berlin office

The Berlin office of Badger Peabody & Smith Realty has added three new agents: Jennifer Woodward, Pranee Powers and Kate Frisk. Woodward received her sales associate license in December and worked as a student intern at the firm in 2022.  Powers has been in real estate for the last three years, and Frisk, who has worked in the customer service industry, has been licensed in real estate for over a year.

MVSB aids Portsmouth carriage house project

Meredith Village Savings Bank has purchased $17,500 in tax credits through the Community Development Finance Authority to support the Warner House Association’s Carriage House Project, which is working to construct a replica of the 18th century carriage house in downtown Portsmouth, which was demolished in the 1960s.

Canterbury Shaker Village wins major grant

The Dwelling House

Canterbury Shaker Village has received a $109,755 matching grant from the NH Land and Community Heritage Investment Program to fund a new roof at its Dwelling House. One of 26 restored original Shaker buildings at the village, a National Historic Landmark, the Dwelling House is a T-shaped structure with 56 rooms that has been expanded numerous times since its construction in 1793.

Featuring a chapel, a Paul Revere family bell and Shaker library, the Dwelling House is where the Shakers also ate and slept.

Baker Newman Noyes opens new Portsmouth office

Baker Newman Noyes officially opened is new Portsmouth office with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The office at 75 Portsmouth Boulevard features a training and education center, offices and adaptable workspaces that support the firm’s transition to a ‘hoteling’ work model, the regional accounting firm said.

BNN Managing Principal Dayton Benway said the newly renovated 6,500-square-foot office was designed with a flexible, activity-based model to support employees with dedicated workstations for focus, teamwork and integrated, flexible technology. Through the “hoteling” system, employees can book cubicles, private offices and phone rooms for individual work and virtual meetings or reserve collaborative spaces, team rooms and portable monitors for group work coordination.