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

The Rethinking Pleasant Street project in Claremont was recently completed.

Six planning and development projects from around the state were honored June 28 at PLAN NH’s annual Merit Awards of Excellence event.

The winners were:

• The Berlin Riverwalk
• Harmony Place, Durham, NH
• Makers Mill, a makerspace & vocation hub, in Wolfeboro
• Pope Memorial Library addition and renovations in North Conway
• Ruth Lewin Griffin Place, located in Portsmouth
• Rethinking Pleasant Street, located in Claremont, NH

Award winners are presented to outstanding projects that incorporate good planning, design and/or development and have had a positive impact on their respective communities.

Information on each winning project can be found below at plannh.org. Respective photos of the awarded projects and project teams are available for download via this link. More photos may be available upon request.

Christopher Chesley, left, and Tom Antonakakis in front of Lisbon Village Pizza.

Lisbon Village Pizza changes hands

Lisbon Village Pizza in downtown Lisbon was recently sold by the Antonakakis family to the Chesley family of Sugar Hill, owners of the Sugar Hill Inn.

“We were actively looking for another successful business that operates year-round and has a great location for foot traffic, drive by traffic and is successful with proven recipes, great staff in place and an opportunity to continue to grow the business,” said Christopher Chesley.

The Antonakakis family was represented by Keegan Rice of Badger Peabody & Smith Realty. He assisted the Chesleys as well.

Birch Heights renovation project begins

Birch Heights, a Holiday by Atria independent living community, has kicked off a new $1.5 renovation project targeting capital upgrades in design and amenities. The upgrades are designed to transform the community’s appearance and function, officials said, all geared toward fostering the social connections that help older adults live life to the fullest. The upgrades are expected to be completed this fall.

One of the focuses of the renovation is to create an expanded fitness room to meet the needs of seniors working to maintain a more active lifestyle as they age. The game lounge, living room with library, atrium and dining room will also receive extensive renovations. Other improvements include added A/V capabilities in all common areas, exterior enhancements, and energy-efficient lighting.

The $1.5 million Holiday Birch Heights renovation includes planned changes in the dining room.

Other Holiday by Atria communities in the region saw investment in capital upgrades and recently completed their renovations this spring, including Holiday Summer Place in Chelmsford, Mass., and Holiday Maple Suites in Dover, NH.

Ledyard unveils Renters Advantage Loan program

Ledyard National Bank has launched a new program, the Renters Advantage Loan, tailored to low-income individuals or families, assists those who are searching for affordable housing but find it challenging to cover the upfront financial burden of having to pay first/last month’s rent and security deposit requirements upon signing a lease.

The bank said the loan program eases this burden by offering an unsecured loan to cover those cash outlays. The loan is offered in amounts up to $5,000 with no closing costs and no minimum credit score. Borrowers are eligible for the loan if they are New Hampshire residents with a maximum household income of $75,600 or if they are Vermont residents with a maximum household income of $68,560.

AARP awards grants to 7 NH organizations

AARP New Hampshire has awarded 2023 Community Challenge grants to seven organizations, part of the largest group of grantees to date, with $3.6 million awarded among 310 organizations nationwide.

Grantees will implement quick-action projects that help communities become more livable by improving public places, transportation, housing, digital connections and diversity, equity and inclusion, with an emphasis on the needs of adults age 50 and older.

Receiving awards in New Hampshire were: Gather NH; the town of Hopkinton; Claremont Opera House; Gibson Center For Senior Services; Littleton Community House; the town of Wilton; and Tri-Town Bicycle.