Concord, N.H., begins development of Arts Alley with new restaurants and entertainment. Gov. Sununu signs bill to strengthen state's water systems, providing $6.5 million for regional drinking water infrastructure projects in southern New Hampshire.
Photo courtesy of PROCON
Scheduled for completion by April 1, 2025, this PROCON-designed and built facility will be a transformative venture that will infuse new life into downtown Concord with a blend of restaurant, entertainment and upscale event spaces.
An ambitious project that would bring multiple restaurants to Main Street in Concord, N.H., broke ground in late July.
The Concord Monitor reported July 27 that the development, dubbed "Arts Alley," includes a two-story building between the Bank of New Hampshire Stage and the Concord Food Co-op that will house a Friendly Toast, along with an outdoor eating area, and transform the existing Norris Bakery and Homestead Stable Building into "Duke's," a Nashville-inspired restaurant and bar with a focus on live music.
The project is being spearheaded by Concord developer Steve Duprey and his company, Duprey Hospitality.
The concept went through multiple iterations that initially included housing before the final plans got the green light from the city last winter, according to the Monitor.
A formal groundbreaking was held July 24, and construction is scheduled to finish by April of next year.
The Friendly Toast, a regional chain serving brunch favorites, is the flagship of the development. Above it will be a 5,000-sq.-ft. events space designed for corporate and private events of up to 150 people.
The third-floor rooftop will become the South Main Street Surfer Bar, an outdoor space with firepits and a bocce ball court around an Airstream camper that was converted into a full-service bar.
The main artery and namesake of the project is the alleyway along the Bank of New Hampshire Stage building, which will pull pedestrian traffic into a courtyard with art installations between the Friendly Toast building and Duke's.
Behind the main building, the outdoor three-season courtyard will host a 1942 Silk City Dingman Diner, once owned by the late Michael Dingman, a renowned New Hampshire businessman and philanthropist.
The beautifully restored diner, considered one of the country's best, will be designed for private wine nights, retirement parties, birthday celebrations and pop-up special event dinners and parties.
Renderings of the project show a modern aesthetic and neon color scheme — the stable building is set to be painted purple — and Duprey and other project leaders have said that they want the project to bring added energy and artistic atmosphere to Main Street.
The developers described it as something that will enhance "the cultural tapestry of downtown Concord with its bright colors, colorful murals and lively atmosphere."
"Our experience at the Grappone Center shows there's a demand for additional meeting space that offers a high level of service," said Pam Bissonnette, COO of Duprey Hospitality. "This will allow us to expand our offerings in the central New Hampshire region. We think this will be a premier event space, complemented by fun dining and entertainment venues."
The South Main Street site had been the home of the 1860 Norris House, a green mansion associated with a Civil War-era bakery, the nation's first woman-run independent movie theater, and Concord's first YMCA.
The Norris House's appearance and history led to multiple efforts to save it — including by Duprey — that ultimately failed due to how expensive it would be to relocate the building. While historic fixtures and artifacts were preserved, the structure was torn down in May.
The carriage house that will be renovated into Duke's, the live music tavern, also is a historic Norris building dating back to 1854.
PROCON, a fourth-generation design-build firm based in nearby Hooksett, N.H., is constructing the facility with the aim of infusing new life into downtown Concord. The company's fully integrated team has received national recognition over its 90 years in business for its outstanding design-build delivery system.
"This project is designed to work in complement with the other arts venues in Concord," added Bissonnette. "Our team is very excited about what Arts Alley will bring to downtown Concord."
New Bill Strengthens N.H.'s Water Infrastructure
In a press release from his office, New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu signed State Bill 393 into law on July 26 to make an appropriation to the state's Department of Environmental Services (NHDES) in order to fund regional drinking water infrastructure.
The monies provided by SB 393 initiated Phase 2 of the Southern New Hampshire Regional Water Project, according to the statement. With the additional $6.5 million in funding from the legislation, the state has spent more than $350 million on clean drinking water infrastructure and projects since 2017.
"From day one, my administration has been focused on ensuring Granite Staters have clean drinking water when they turn on their faucets," Sununu said. "Our work continues through this bill with even more funding directed to strengthening New Hampshire's water infrastructure."
Communities and water systems in the southern part of the state "have come together in an historic manner to cooperate in the regional management of water resources," he added.
According to the news release, those municipalities earlier coordinated to build the first phase of the Southern New Hampshire Regional Water Supply Interconnection Project, which today supplies 1 million gal. per day of drinking water supply to local residents in the region.
As a result, the communities now have an agreement in place to increase their water supply to 3.13 million gal. per day as part of the project's second phase.
The funding from SB 393 also will pay for the design of all ancillary projects needed as well as the construction of chemical feed at existing water storage tanks in Derry and Salem, and potentially increase the amount of water available from the Manchester Water Works reservoir, a major source of drinking water for the region.
"Investing in regional drinking water infrastructure in southern New Hampshire is critical to address the occurrence of widespread [synthetic chemical, or PFAS] contamination, reoccurring droughts, and increased water demands," said Robert Scott, commissioner of the NHDES.
"The state and water systems in southern New Hampshire have worked very hard to improve the resiliency and reliability of water supply in [the region] by cooperating in the regional management of water resources. This additional funding is critical in continuing the work."
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