Search results matching tag 'development'

Bedford residents sound off on economic development

Bedford Editor — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 19:46:00 GMT

By JILLIAN JORGENSEN

The final in a series of discussions about the business climate and the future of economic development, open to Bedford residents, was an attempt at once again tackling the issue of how to attract and maintain business in town.

The Bedford Economic Development Commission has been holding the forums with different groups of business owners and leaders in the town as part of their process of making a recommendation to the Town Council on what kind of economic development function the town should adopt.

Some have advocated for a full-time, paid economic development professional, while others have maintained that a plan for a volunteer position is more likely to be met favorably.

“I think there needs to be a group like this and a possibly a paid person, for someone to be held accountable,” Shana Potvin, who recently moved to Bedford said.

But in a tough budget season, such a position might not be something the Town Council would support, Bill Dermody, a member of the council, said.

“Where are you going to put your money? On a policeman to protect your property, or on an economic development person to, in this economy, bring development into town?” he said.

Early in the meeting, Dermody asked those in attendance what businesses they thought were missing from Bedford.

Joanne Gerety Rice, a real estate professional with Keller Williams Realty, said she thought the town could use a “recession-proof” business such as a pharmaceutical company.

Bedford has only 300 acres of developable, commercially zoned land, planning director Rick Sawyer said. Most of that is in small parcels. Jack Sullivan, a member of the commission, said that may make it difficult for companies who want to set up large facilities to move to Bedford.

Alice DeSouza, a member of the commission, said it would be helpful to think less about boundaries and more about putting businesses that people like into Bedford. She said she shops outside the town if it is at a place she likes.

“It doesn’t matter to me that it’s not in Bedford. That’s where I like to go,” she said.

Because the town is approaching build-out, Mark Prestipino said a considerable part of economic development in the town would be redevelopment of existing land. Sawyer said the Bedford Mall is a good example, but with three different people owning the parcels there, and with the economy in a slump, it has been difficult to plan for the site.

“Why can’t there be a big IKEA or a Christmas Tree Shoppe?” Potvin said about the Bedford Mall. “My whole life it’s been junk in there.”

The commission also intends to work closely with those putting together Bedford’s 10-year master plan. Barbara Salvatore, who is the adult and senior connections representative on the Master Plan Steering Committee, said Bedford is one of the fastest-aging communities in southern New Hampshire.

She said the town is not very “elder-friendly” because most homes have multiple stories and too much land, and it is difficult to walk to businesses.

“Would mixed-use (developments) be an exciting new alternative for us to consider?” she asked, referring to developments that include both residential and commercial properties.

Salvatore added that the town might not be able to house the workers of many businesses that would want to move into the area.

“Frankly, we don’t have the housing stock that supports folks who are middle class that would like to participate in our community,” she said.

Dicky Desai, owner of the Hill-Brook Motel on Route 101, brought up two issues business leaders have previously mentioned: water and sewer connections, and signs.

“We desperately need water and sewer,” he said.

Desai said the amount of fertilizer being put in the ground in town is harming wells.

“It is not if we are going to lose the water source, it is when,” he said.

He said signs, especially for businesses like hotels and restaurants that are frequented by people from out of town, are there to attract people to businesses. If they are too small, they cannot do that.

“If it doesn’t serve that purpose, then it’s just wasting space,” he said.

Developers find new ways to use old buildings

Bedford Editor — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 20:33:00 GMT

By Darrell Halen

When Bill Greiner retrofitted an office building on Route 101 for medical use, he improved the structure’s appearance, increased its assessed value, and added to the number of jobs in town.

Greiner, owner of Greiner Investments, is leasing his 188 Route 101 property to Catholic Medical Center, which shared the costs of renovating it. The building, slightly more than 9,000 square feet in size, is home to the Family Health & Wellness Center, a department of Catholic Medical Center that offers a family practice and general internal medicine. “We have several practices in Manchester and we always wanted to be down (Route) 101, out west, because we have a lot of patients in Bedford already,” said Bonnie McKellar, vice president of physician practices for primary care practices at CMC. “We heard from patients that they would love (for us) to have a presence out here. So we’ve been looking for a couple of years.”

Because of the building’s renovations and the lease rate with CMC, Greiner expects the property, currently assessed at a total of $898,800, to increase as much as 70 percent.

The building previously housed three tenants, one of which, Norwood Title Services, relocated to an older Greiner-owned building on an adjoining lot. Greiner has consolidated that lot and the one the wellness center sits on into one single two-acre lot.

“When CMC wanted to come in, we obviously had to retrofit it for medical (use) – pretty much ripping up everything and starting over,” said Greiner.

Other services are planned by CMC. A patient laboratory will soon open in the lower level. Massage therapy may be offered in the next few months. Next year, physical therapy may be offered.

The addition of an elevator was the renovation’s single largest expense. It allows CMC to have full access to the entire building. The building, which had ramps and handicapped-accessible doors added to it, had to be compliant with the federal Americans with Disability Act.

Because he expects CMC’s business to expand, Greiner plans to eventually knock down the older building, add as much as 10,000 square feet to the CMC-rented building and expand parking and septic to maximize the full lot.

Redevelopment of commercial property is considered an important part of economic development, according to several officials.

A chapter on economic conditions written to update the town’s master plan cites it as a factor that could increase the amount of nonresidential building space in town.

“It’s certainly been discussed in economic development conversations that have been going on,” said Rick Sawyer, the town’s planning director. “Clearly, it’s going to be an important piece of our planning process as we go forward.”

Some of the redevelopment projects on the horizon include the demolition of the C.R. Sparks Restaurant on Kilton Road for a Lexus dealership. There are conceptual plans to develop the Macy’s site, although those plans are on hold.

At 345 Route 101, the former site of the Aftan Kennels, a new 5,242-square-foot building will become the new location of Beals Insurance Agency. Owner Steve Beals is relocating his business there and will have office space for tenants.

“That’s another great project for the town,” said Town Councilor Bill Dermody.

The kennels operated on the site, at the intersection of Route 101 and Hardy Road, for many years until a fire three years ago destroyed most of the house. The barn on the site, believed to be built in the mid-1800s, was not damaged.

However, the barn’s interior beam structure was determined to be structurally unsound. It will be saved and exposed within the new building which will be constructed around the frame and will look the same as the old barn, according to Planning Board documents.

Renovating properties is something that Riley Enterprises has been doing in town for years. One of its current projects is converting an historic house at 189 S. River Road to commercial use.

The house, known as House No. 158 and believed to be built in the late 1700s or early 1800s, was once the home of Zachariah Chandler.

According to the Oct. 31, 1883, edition of the Bedford Messenger, Chandler moved to Detroit where he became a wealthy businessman and was elected mayor.

He represented Michigan in the U.S. Senate, and served as Secretary of the Interior in President Ulysses S. Grant’s cabinet. The house became an inn and tavern and was the first house of entertainment between Nashua and Concord. The famous furniture maker John Dunlap performed the carving and paneling and built an in-corner cupboard in one of the rooms. The work was later removed and placed in a Delaware museum as a display of fine New England cabinet making workmanship.

“We decided to try to save a piece of history of Bedford,” said company President Tom Riley.

Several contractors advised Riley and his son, Chris, the company’s vice president, to tear down the building. But the Rileys decided to fix up the property, deciding it could provide nice space for office/medical, specialty retail or restaurant/ tavern use.

“It’s coming out all right,” said Chris Riley. “It’s had its hurdles. Bedford doesn’t have an instrument in place to allow for antique commercial properties to bypass modern code for commercial use.”

Riley has relocated the house’s garage, provided paved parking spots for about 22 vehicles and has space for more. He’s also adding modern windows, an HVAC system, and insulation.

Developers talk to Bedford about business

Bedford Editor — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 20:04:00 GMT

By JILLIAN JORGENSEN

Members of Bedford’s development, real estate and engineering professions got together to discuss the town’s business climate on July 22, part of the Bedford Economic Development Commission’s effort to reach out to the community about what kind of economic development function they would like to see in town.

“Are we helping you? Are we not helping you?” Russ Marcoux, the town manager, asked at the start of the meeting. Developers discussed the somewhat lengthy, but shortening, process of getting plans approved by the town, as well as obstacles to developing certain areas, especially Route 101, which is not equipped with the water and sewer lines that larger development would require.

Steve Beals, who owns Beals Insurance, said it would be important to explain to Bedford residents the advantages business has on the town’s tax base.

John Lariviere, of R.J. Moreau Communities, said communication with business who might establish their offices in Bedford would also be key to attracting new development.

“Without identifying what Bedford’s advantages are and communicating them to the public, we have only one thing to go on: price,” he said. “I don’t think that’s the way to go.”

Steve Keach, a civil engineer, said it is a matter of seizing opportunities and looking for the best kinds of business for the little land that is left to develop, especially around the airport access road.

“I would hate to see that land allocated in a way that would not give Bedford the biggest bang for its buck,” he said.

Marcoux said after the meeting that Bedford has begun doing that in some respects, since part of the area is zoned under stricter rules as a performance zone, designed to attract businesses that will better broaden the tax rate. But in terms of courting specific business, the town does not yet have that capability.

“We just don’t have the people to do that,” he said.

At the end of the year, the Economic Development Commission will make suggestions to the town council about what kind of economic development function people who live and work in the town would like to see. Marcoux said he thought the council would be responsive to the suggestions.

Some complaints about the development climate in Bedford included conflicting responses to plans from the state and the town; changes to what is allowed in a plan as different departments get involved in the process, and that the responsibility for smoothing out wrinkles between different departments lies with the developer, which can take time and cost money.

But many said the town typically moved quickly on development plans and was clear and up front about requirements.

Bill Dermody, the town council representative on the commission, said he thought the businesses and developers were pleased the town was reaching out to them, “I think people realize that the Economic Development Commission is sincere,” he said.

Bedford Council tours Goffstown for ideas

Bedford Editor — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 21:00:00 GMT

BY JILLIAN JORGENSEN

The weather was not perfect, but the Bedford Town Council held a meeting outside recently anyway.

The councilors, along with some members of the Bedford Village Common Development Committee, walked through a new park in Goffstown to look for inspiration and lessons for the common’s development as plans for the Bedford park move ahead.

“It just gives an idea of what can be done, as far as the common is concerned,” Town Councilor Bill Dermody said about the walk-through.

The park, Abingdon Park, is part of a multi-use development spearheaded by the TF Moran engineering firm. It is open to the public but is not owned by Goffstown, and the president of TF Moran, Robert Cruess, and his wife, Anne, the landscape engineer, have been maintaining it. Eventually the park will be turned over to a community association, after townhouses and other retail stores are built in the development, which already includes a Rite-Aid. Anne Cruess will also be designing the Bedford Village Common.

“It’s a classic park,” Cruess said of its design, which is based on a park in Greenwich Village. “You give this thing three years, it’s really going to be fantastic.”

The park is based on one in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan, Cruess said. It is not totally complete, with some details still in the works, but Cruess said he and the community are very pleased with its development.

“The park just feels good,” Robert Cruess said.

Many of the councilors and committee members pointed out that both parks are or will be located on a busy road – Abingdon Park is on a heavily- trafficked stretch of Mast Road in Pinardville, while the common will be located on Route 101.

“I think you have more traffic on 101,” said Town Councilor Normand Longval. He said he did not think traffic would be a problem for the common,“just as long as no one parks on 101.”

He said parking considerations, as well as how to use the town resources and develop surrounding areas to best benefit the park, are important factors.

“This is what it’s all about, integrating everything so we can make it happen,” he said. Beverly Thomas, the chairman of the Bedford Village Common Development Committee, thought the trip was worthwhile.

“I think this is beautiful. It’s a great space on a busy road,” she said.

Deb Sklar, a member of the committee, said the visit will help deal with some people’s concerns about the common’s location.

“We can easily answer concerns about why a park on 101. I mean, here’s a park on a really busy street,” Sklar said.

Vice chairman of the Town Council, Bob Young, pointed out that both Bedford and Goffstown have similar goals for including parks in a town center. Though Bedford will not pursue any strip malls on Route 101, he said that they are seeking some similar multiuse development and similar retails establishments near the park.

“We’re trying to solve a similar problem. Maybe differently in the details,” he said.

He said he thought the experience with Abingdon Park would be useful for TF Moran when developing the Bedford Village Common.

“Hopefully he can bring some of the lessons learned to Bedford,” he said.

Abingdon Park is about acre, including a section in front of the Rite-Aid, Cruess said. The part of the Bedford Village Common under development now is 6.2 acres.

“The scale is a little different,” Anne Cruess said, but she added that there are similarities. “We’re taking a very busy road and we’re changing the character by putting in something beautiful.”

Goboro Road plan criticized

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 19:29:00 GMT

By Kathleen Bailey

The proposed Towle Farm Estates housing development off Goboro Road, near the Epsom/Chichester line, is receiving critical reviews so far from a cross-section of Epsom residents.

Developer Roger Bartlett hopes to put 42 single-family homes in a cluster development on part of the 275 acres. The land has been in his family for years. The property is at Tax Map R-13, Lot 36-1. The back 160 acres will be conservation land, with the easement held and monitored by the New England Forestry Foundation.

But residents have concerns ranging from water to traffic, and a standing-room-only crowd expressed their misgivings in several public meetings. Judy Gibson, who lives off Goboro Road, worries about runoff from the new homes to the Suncook River, which borders the development.

“They will fertilize their lawns,” she said of her potential new neighbors, “and every house will have a septic tank. I asked about it in the meeting, and the response was, ‘We’ll put in catchbasins with filters.’ I asked, ‘Who will take care of the catchbasins?’ and they said, ‘The town.’ That’s another tax burden on the town, and it was kind of a surprise for me.”

“The property does slope down to the river,” Bartlett said, pointing out, “It’s been a wetland for hundreds of years.”

He submitted his wetlands application to the Department of Environmental Services, who reviewed it. He said he is required to deal with drainage issues, and is doing so through culverts, swales and catchbasins. The engineering firm hired by the town, SSC, is comfortable with his drainage plans, he said.

While there may be runoff to the river, the development itself doesn’t have water, Jim Breagy, a 31-year resident of Goboro Road, said. He’s checked with two plumbers, both of whom told him wells would have to be drilled.

“You’re going to shove 40 houses in an area with no water?” Breagy asked rhetorically. Bartlett countered that he’s done test pits and perc tests, and “there is enough water.”

Traffic is also an issue with Breagy. Goboro has deteriorated over the years and is “like a bubble,” higher in the middle, he said.

There is already a problem with truckers passing through to Route 28, even though the road is supposed to be posted. “They do it to avoid the weight check,” he said.

In the summer, the road is filled with young moms with strollers, joggers and people walking their dogs. He’s concerned about the impact of cars from 40 more homes, he said.

“I understand the concern,” Bartlett said, “and it’s well-founded. The Planning Board has had the same concern for a while.”

A traffic study was done and reviewed by SSC.study found that 80 percent of the traffic generated by his development would head toward Route 28, he said, and he’s already talked with the state about his role in improvements to Route 28.

“It is a legitimate concern, and the board is looking at offsite improvements I can do.”

Traffic, he said, is an “open issue.” Police Chief Wayne Preve wanted additional signage on the road, he added.

Breagy is also concerned, he said, that there has been no engineers’ report on the planned development.

“They need to tell us: Is it feasible or not feasible?” he said. And Bartlett doesn’t “know where he’s coming from” on that. “I could not have submitted my application without the engineering work already done,” he said.

He’s contracted with Northpoint Engineering to do the engineering studies. In addition to their studies and those of SSC, Keith Cota, selectmen’s representative to the Planning Board and an engineer, has done a “careful and methodical” review, Bartlett said.

Other residents worry about school children and their effect on Epsom’s public school system. Bartlett said he has provided his “school projections.” Some people object to the strain on town services such as police and fire, but Bartlett said Preve and Fire Chief Stewart Yeaton haven’t come up with any major issues.

“The town zoning,” Bartlett said, “allows for this type of project in this type of area.” And the town may actually benefit, he added. The property is in current usage, with a portion of the taxes abated.

“If it comes out of current usage, the town gets paid – as much as $200,000 to $300,000,” he said.

Planning Board Chairman Dan McGuire sees the situation as “an objection to building in general” on the quiet rural road. He said, “We’ve received more opposition to this development than to any other since I’ve been on the board.”

Developer Adam Towne is working on a 25-house subdivision in another part of town, and hasn’t seen any controversy. But for Goboro Road there is, McGuire concluded, a “general anti-development feeling.”

And for Jim Breagy, that is part of the issue.

“You go on Goboro Road and all the houses are a good distance apart,” he said, adding, “It’s a very homey environment.”

The Planning Board will hold a public hearing on Towle Farm Estates Wednesday, July 8. For more information, call the Town Office at 736-9002.

‘Salem advantage’ still attracts business

Salem Editor — Wed, 13 May 2009 18:38:00 GMT

BY DERRICK PERKINS

Planning board agendas may be lighter this spring than during past years, but town officials say the economy has not kept businesses from coming to the border community.

“There are signs of life in the economy here locally. There are projects coming before the planning board,” said Ross Moldoff, Salem’s planning director. “People are doing things. There is development activity.”

In February, Moldoff reported an unusually light workload, even during the already normally slow season of the year for his department. He was handling fewer phone calls and fewer people were dropping by his office. At the time, Moldoff said it would be interesting to see whether that trend continued into the spring, when activity within the department traditionally begins to pick up.

Officials got an added surprise toward the end of that month when plans that had been in the works for over a year to redevelop the Coca-Cola plant suddenly fell through. The proposal, which included a coffee shop and restaurant, died after the lead tenant, a CVS Pharmacy, pulled out.

Now, as the days become warmer and lengthen, Moldoff is seeing a turnaround in business.

“There is still activity is out there. It’s not dead by any means,” he said. “There is enough activity. I’m getting phone calls and people are making appointments. Sometimes it’s small projects and sometimes it’s big projects.”

The construction of two new pharmacies in town have been proposed, one near the border with Methuen, Mass., and the other on the far end of Route 28 near the border with neighboring Windham. A newly proposed supermarket and pharmacy on Route 97 has also gained approval from the town Zoning Board and is headed before the Planning Board.

The demolition and redevelopment of the DeMoulas Supermarket, also on Route 28, was also recently approved by the planning board and construction is set to start on the Lowe’s project in coming weeks, according to Moldoff. Part of what has kept Salem attractive to commercial development is its location directly across the border from Massachusetts, he said.

“One of the things we have always known, is that Salem is the first community over the border. That there is no sales or income tax is always an advantage to Salem when people are looking to open up a business or do something different,” Moldoff said.

While James Keller, chairman of the Planning Board, has noticed a dip in the amount of business his board handled in comparison to last year, he said the community had remained attractive to outside companies despite the economic downturn.

He pointed to Salem’s geographical location as one such advantage as well.

“It’s fair to say it’s slowed down. There is very little activity on the residential side of thing and the commercial activity is strong, but I would certainly categorize it as less than last year,” Keller said. “Salem continues to benefit from it’s location and with its vibrant business and commercial area, it’s quite appealing.”

Landowner proposes 14-acre plan for commercial development

Bedford Editor — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 21:02:00 GMT

The owner of 14 acres at 358 S. River Road has presented a conceptual plan to the Planning Board for three buildings, with 88,000 square feet of commercial space. The property is located between Harvey Road and Commerce Drive on South River Road.

On Monday, March 23, Donald Levasseur, the owner, told the board he envisions offices or a manufacturing business moving to the area. He does not have any tenants or builders lined up for the project or know when he would return to the board with a more detailed plan.

Levasseur had previously been before the board for a subdivision of the property, which was approved. But, he said, he did not do the subdivision because it was not the best plan for the property.

As for his latest proposal, he said the board had told him to not count on being able to cross a wetland with a driveway from the development to Commerce Drive. His plan calls for two three-story buildings and one single-story structure.

– Stephen Beale

Self-contained, 55-plus housing expected to bring jobs and tax relief in Bedford

Bedford Editor — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 20:42:00 GMT

BY STEPHEN BEALE

The day that a mixed-commercial and residential development went before the Planning Board coincided with a 500-point surge in the Dow Jones average.

“We understand that it was on strong rumors this was going to be approved tonight,” joked Bill Tucker, a local attorney who represents the developer, Hawthorne Partners, based in Woburn, Mass.

Later that evening, on Monday, March 23, the plan for 160 age-restricted condos, an assisted- living facility, and a bank, pharmacy, restaurant and a medical office building on 38 acres behind the corner of Routes 101 and 114 indeed was approved by the Planning Board.

The development may not have much to do with Wall Street, but it is expected to stimulate the local economy in Bedford, creating new jobs and filling the coffers of the town with added tax revenue. The development, once completed, could generate almost $1.2 in property tax revenue for Bedford, according to E. J. Powers, a spokesman for Hawthorne Partners. That estimate is based on the 2007 tax rate.

The development fulfills town goals for economic growth, said Town Manager Russ Marcoux. “I think it’s a great project. It’s a mixed-use project that has been a long time in the making,” Marcoux said. “I’m very encouraged this project is moving forward.”

The development will sit on land Saint Anselm College is currently selling to Hawthorne Partners. The eastern side, next to Route 101, will be the business park. In the center will be an 84- unit assisted-living facility, and on the west will be 160 condos for owners 55 years and older — 88 units would be townhouses, leaving two three-story buildings each with 36 garden-style flats.

No deals have been reached for tenants for the bank, pharmacy, restaurant or coffee shop, according Dick Anagnost and Alex Vailas, local developers who will buy the site from Hawthorne and lease the buildings.

They said architectural concerns have been a factor in their negotiations with potential tenants.

A 45,000-square-foot medical office building will be filled with doctor practices.

The board gave Hawthorne Partners two years — double the normal time — to pull a building permit. A groundbreaking is expected for the middle of 2010, said Tucker. He is not sure when the project would be finished as the recession is having an impact.

“Tenants are reluctant to make commitments for leases until they know a project is for real,” he said.

The proposal was first presented to the board in 2007.

Since then, the architecture of the business buildings has been altered to make them more compatible with a traditional New England look, as had been sugested by the Planning Board.

The developer has also added sidewalks to the business park from Old Bedford Road and from the Bedford Springs office building at the corner of Routes 101 and 114.

A quarter of the condos must be affordable to households earning $61,120, which is 80 percent of the median area income, said Tucker. Much of the discussion at the March 23 meeting centered on services that will be available to the condo residents.

An agreement with Benchmark Assisted Living, which will build and run the assisted-living facility, said residents of the condominium could eat in its dining hall, if there is enough seating and enough of a demand for the service. An effort by Planning Board member Deb Sklar to make that service mandatory was defeated in a voice vote.

The board turned down a request for 24-hour operations in the commercial area, instead restricting them from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. The limitation applies only to when businesses are open to the public, not when employees arrive or leave, board members said.

Anagnost said he had asked for the expanded hours to allow for flexibility in striking deals with tenants.

“It’s kind of cart and horse,” he said. “That’s why we were looking for the blanket on the other end.”

The board also asked the developers to add false windows to the pharmacy, which will be at the corner of Old Bedford Road and Route 101. Board member Harold Newberry suggested the building had a bland appearance.

New life for Bedford Mall

Bedford Editor — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 21:01:00 GMT

BY STEPHEN BEALE

A plan to tear down most of the Bedford Mall and turn it into a shopping plaza could deliver a shot of economic growth to an area that has been struggling with vacancies for years.

The project was unveiled by the developer, Emmes Asset Management Company, at a Planning Board meeting on Monday, Feb. 23.

After the redevelopment, the Bedford Mall would no longer be a mall – replaced by an L-shaped shopping plaza at 73 S. River Road with several box stores accessible from the new parking lot. The largest, a 93,500- square-foot Kohl’s department store would anchor the retail center.

Two years ago, the national retailer had considered building a store close by on Kilton Road. But it had trouble fitting it on the site, said Rick Sawyer, town planning director.

Just 80,000 square feet would remain standing at the south end of the mall. Bob’s Stores would remain. Marshalls would move to the vacated Linens N’ Things site next to Bob’s. Staples would relocate to the northern side of the new shopping plaza.

The Outback Steakhouse, which is on the mall property, would not be affected. But on the south side of the South River Road entrance, there would be a 3,000-square-foot fast-food restaurant. Mike Izbicki, chairman of the Town Council and an advocate of economic development along South River Road, praised the plan.

“It’s great news,” Izbicki said. “It’s going to hopefully pump some life into that mall and that area. It will be good for business and great for the town.” Izbicki said the mall is in a perfect location at the end of Kilton Road, which feeds traffic from a Route 101 off-ramp onto South River Road. Around the mall are the interchanges for Interstate 293, the Everett Turnpike and Route 101.

The redevelopment would turn around prime commercial property, that despite having busy highways at its front door, has been plagued with vacancies.

Today, there were nine tenants in a mall with room for 27, according to the directory.

“Clearly having a 60 percent vacancy rate isn’t good for them at this point,” Sawyer said. “I think they realized they needed to do something.”

South of the mall another redevelopment is slated for the land around Macy’s. Packard Development Corp. wants to add a supermarket and two retail buildings around the department store. The company also plans to raze part of the Quality Inn and Wayfarer Convention Center to expand the parking lot around Macy’s.

Izbicki said the two redevelopment projects would help transform South River Road. “It’s going to make the Route 3 area a destination instead of a pass-through,” he said. “It’s going to attract people to come to Bedford and spend the day shopping.”

The mall was purchased by Gateway Van Buren in March 2007 with a pledge from Emmes that it would revitalize the property in three to five years. Emmes representatives did not say how the recession might impact their plans.

“We’d like to get this started as quickly as possible,” said Bill Bond, an Emmes vice president. “Obviously the mall could use improvement and we hope to improve it.”

There are six other smaller tenants in the mall, including Michael’s School of Hair Designs and Esthetics, Papa Gino’s, and the K. Milan Salon and Spa. Michael said Emmes will work with those tenants to relocate them.

At the Planning Board meeting, most of the focus was on the design of the new retail center. Board member Harold Newberry said the plaza design, which is modeled on the Kohl’s, was “uninteresting” and “boring.” He urged Emmes to make it look more attractive, with brick and stone work as well as gables.

“I know there is a prototype Kohl’s likes to use,” member Karen McGinley added. But, “is there any effort to make this more New England? This is Kohl’s in Bedford, New Hampshire, not Kohl’s anywhere. I have to say it is pretty stark.”

Economic development seen to ease property tax burden

Bedford Editor — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 01:34:00 GMT

BY STEPHEN BEALE

Editor’s note: This is part one in a series on economic development in Bedford. Next week: How the airport will transform South River Road near Merrimack.

Officials and the public got a lesson on Economic Development 101, hearing from a series of speakers about the conditions and policies conducive to business growth, which is seen as a way of spreading the property tax burden.

More than 60 elected officials, developers, real estate agents and residents turned out for the first-ever Economic Development Roundtable at Lurgio Middle School on Saturday morning, Sept. 13.

Mike Izbicki, the Town Council chairman, said the event reflected a town effort to focus on economic development. The town currently does not have an employee or organization dedicated to that purpose.

“We need to explore how we’re going to handle economic development,” Izbicki said. “Do we go out, do we set up a committee made up of elected officials and citizens and town officials? Do we hire an economic developer, part-time, full-time?”

Town councilors said the roundtable was successful in getting feedback and opinions from a broad range of people — from developers and real estate officials to residents and school district officials.

Town Councilor Bob Young said there is a broad consensus that the community needs a point person for economic development, marketing Bedford on the town Web site and doing other things to attract business.

“Was it desirable to do this?” Young said. “And I think it was overwhelmingly stated (Sept. 13), both in this attendance and the people standing up, at least of the section of town that seems to be interested in development, that yes ... all those things are really necessary as Bedford heads to its final buildout phase.”

At the end of the roundtable, attendees broke out into smaller groups to brainstorm on a series of questions about economic development. One small group thought the town could provide the initial funding for an economic development department, which would eventually be paid for by the private sector.

The group, who was represented by Chris Riley, a Planning Board alternate, said the department director would be chosen by an eight to 10-person board, split between town employees or appointees and citizens, developers and business owners. Such diversified membership, he said, would ensure the director was not “at the mercy” of either the town or the business community.

Another group thought the work should be outsourced to a consultant while some others thought an economic development coordinator should be hired. Several groups also thought Bedford should find an identity so that it is known outside of its borders, much like Exeter, Keene, Peterborough and Portsmouth. Resident Karen Grimmett said that could be done with village-like shopping areas that become a destination where people congregate.

“I think you can create an identity by creating your sense of place,” she said.

Several speakers from the local, regional and state level appeared at the roundtable.

Recalling the days when he was in the private sector running a high-end furniture manufacturing company, Gov. John Lynch told town officials to remember that the bottom line dictates business decisions. Businesses ultimately will come to Bedford if they think their costs will be less than sales, he said. Lynch said Bedford has a big advantage – location.

“You all are situated in such a great location. You know, we talk about the importance of location,” Lynch said. “Bedford has a great location. You are right next to one of the finest airports in the country and that proximity to Manchester Boston Regional Airport is so critical to businesses.”

The meeting heard from a representative of the airport itself, Deputy Director Brian O’Neill, who said authorities are planning to expand the terminal, add a parking garage or more surface parking, and move rental car companies to an expanded area.

O’Neill said the airport gives the Granite State a foothold on the global marketplace, noting that the percentage of passengers coming from out of the four northern New England states has gone up from 33 to 44 percent since 2006.

He estimates that the airport contributes $1 billion a year to the New Hampshire economy, increasing to $1.5 billion annually by 2015. Those estimates, he added, do not include indirect benefits, such as hotels, convention centers and businesses that move into the area because of the airport.

Department of Transportation Commissioner George Campbell sounded a similar theme. In addition to returning passenger rail service, Campbell said the state has to use its lines for more commercial freight.

“Goods and how to move the system I think are the number one agenda for us because the purpose of transportation in New Hampshire is to support the economy,” he said.

In addition to several town officials, other speakers included David Preece, executive director of the Southern New Hampshire Planning Commission, and Stephen Heavener, who holds a similar post for the Capital Regional Development Council.