LOCAL

Somersworth shapes future of 4 prominent properties: Will new housing come to city?

Karen Dandurant
Fosters Daily Democrat

SOMERSWORTH — The City Council set priorities this week for the future of four prominent city-owned properties, with two projects set in motion and two sent back for further research.

Here's what we learned about the evolving plans from city leaders:

Former National Guard property, 15 Blackwater Road

Mayor Dana Hilliard said the council approved sending out requests for proposals and requests for qualifications for the vacated 65-year-old site of the National Guard's former armory. A Little League field on the site will remain in place, he said.

"We are looking at housing or a recreational use," Hilliard said, with the city now preparing to seek proposals.

The former New Hampshire Army National Guard armory property in Somersworth could be a location for new housing.

Four options had been under consideration, including selling the land for a commercial venture, or for a mixed use development, with businesses and housing.

The former National Guard site sits on 4 acres deeded to the New Hampshire National Guard in 1950. The original parcel was roughly 11.5 acres, but some of that land was turned over to the city over the years, including the baseball field.

Former police station, 5 Main Street

Hilliard said the council decided to put the former police station on the market.

The Somersworth-owned two-story brick building at 5 Main St. was home to the city's Police Department from 1972 to 2007.

"The city staff will begin compiling marketing stats," he said. "We are hoping to see a mixed-use project, business and housing. We are looking to ask for market rate for the building, at no less than $200,000."

The old station has been vacant since 2014. Hilliard said there were some environmental issues, mainly asbestos, the city has since remediated through a federal Brownfield grant.

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The building has close to 8,000 square feet of finished space. It housed the city Police Department for 35 years until the police moved to a new location in 2008. The building has also served as a rooming house, shoe store, pharmacy and restaurant.

Somersworth Plaza, 85 Main StreetFormer Breton's Cleaners, 1 Winter Street

The council decided to seek more information and recommendations for these two properties.

"We had a Somersworth Plaza committee several years ago," Hilliard said. "We will take a look at their recommendations and bring this back to the council in April."

Somersworth Plaza, which is located at 85 Main St., is home to Stripe Nine Brewing Co. and other businesses.

The plaza has several businesses there currently, each individually owned. Hilliard said the owners are considering putting out an request for proposals for a redesign.

"The goal is an upgrade to the look of the plaza which is located in the downtown area," he said. "The city owns the parking lot and the plaza's facade."

The former half-acre home of Breton's Cleaners was at the center of a debate last year, which ended with the City Council denying a proposal for a Domino's Pizza. City officials and members of the public debated what the city should do with the highly visible riverfront parcel.

1 Winter St. in Somersworth, once the site of Breton's Cleaners, has been vacant for some time. A developer proposed building a Domino's Pizza on the site. City leaders first endorsed, then rejected the proposal after public pressure.

"We are going to send this one to our economic development department," Hilliard said. "We are asking them to bring two viable proposals for development back to the City Council. That can help us narrow down what we want to see there."

The property was put out to bid last year, after public outcry led the council to reject the Domino's Pizza proposal. A more recent proposal would bring much-needed housing to the site and could also include commercial space. The proposal calls for 24 residential apartments with at least one-third being slated as affordable housing.

Hilliard said the property required a Brownfield grant to clean up chemicals from the former business.

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Deputy Mayor David Witham said the property abuts the railroad tracks and the city has to maintain monitoring wells there. He said a sewer line runs through the site.

"Now that it is clean and ready, we have had some inquiries," Witham said.