Southern New Hampshire business parks need larger buildings to attract corporate headquarters and employees - by Hugo Overdeput

Hugo Overdepot, Colliers International

As new developments continue to crop up in southern New Hampshire, Gateway Park is proving to be the latest and largest development project in Windham. The former Heavy Hitters Driving Range is designed to be a mixed use development, boasting approximately 360,000 s/f of build-to-lease Class A office and incubator space, R&D/technology, medical, retail, food service and townhouses. This shouldn’t come as a surprise, considering Windham is one of the fastest growing towns in southern New Hampshire. The town’s population is increasing dramatically, so businesses and services should follow suit.

In addition to the office and residential component, concept designs for Gateway Park show the incorporation of such retail uses as fine dining and bistro style restaurants with outdoor seating, a bank, a pharmacy, a daycare, fitness studios and a health center. This exciting project will include walking paths to connect Gateway’s facets together. Additionally, a large park is planned for residents and guests to enjoy.

Gateway Park will have a campus-like atmosphere, offering complementary services to the businesses that locate in the park, as well as for town residents. Green space “commons” will be incorporated into the plan to allow tenant and community related activities. The developer’s vision is to bring vitality into the community by attracting large companies with high quality jobs. This approach is designed to provide an attractive live/work option to recent college graduates, thereby encouraging them to stay in New Hampshire.

Located minutes from Exit 3 off the newly widened I-93, Gateway Park is situated at the lighted intersection of Range Rd. (which connects Lowell, Mass. to Windham, N.H.) and Rte. 111/Indian Rock Rd. (which connects Windham, N.H. to Hudson and Kingston, N.H.). This is a highly traveled commuter corridor, boasting 27,000± vehicles per day on an average weekday, according to an independent traffic study completed in April 2015.

As part of the expansion of I-93 at Exit 3, the former northbound off ramp will become part of the new Rte. 111A and connect to Range Rd. just before the Common Man Restaurant. This new traffic pattern should also help foster more development in the area. The expansion of I-93 will make it more attractive for Massachusetts companies to relocate their corporate headquarters just over the tax-free New Hampshire border, especially in the setting Gateway Park will provide.

Windham is not the only town focusing on improving the job market and attracting large companies. In Salem, the Economic Development Advisory Committee (EDAC) just successfully established the Business Innovation District, which voters passed in March 2016. Covering over 1,200 acres and surrounding Exit 2, I-93, this overlay district was created to encourage a diverse mix of businesses including traditional office uses and incubator space, as well as entertainment, convenience stores, restaurants and residential use.

The Business Innovation District will create more of a campus-like setting with pedestrian and bicycle access, open landscaped areas and by allowing for taller buildings (up to seven stories) and higher density, provided the developers meet requirements such as underground or structured parking and connectivity between the buildings.

This new overlay district will encourage the redevelopment of existing properties and the creation, retention and growth of innovative businesses. Similar to Gateway Park, the intention is to stimulate economic development, create new jobs and appeal to growing fields such as high technology and medicine.

Both the towns of Windham and Salem are creating new opportunities for the community to grow, achieve a sustainable economic base and create an employee friendly environment. However, the current infrastructure is largely made up of professional office/industrial parks featuring standalone buildings with roads and parking lots between them.

The future is pointing toward the need for a “community” atmosphere. Southern New Hampshire business parks need larger buildings to attract corporate headquarters and attract employees by adding desired amenities and services, walking paths and green areas near offices – all accessible by foot.

Gateway Park is going for final approval this summer and will be breaking ground in late 2017.

Hugo Overdeput, CCIM, is a vice president of Colliers International, Manchester, N.H.