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Nashua Downtown Master Plan

Honorable Bernard A. Streeter, Jr.
Mayor, City of Nashua

Community Development Division

Staff

Katherine E. Hersh

Director, Community Development
Division

Daniel R. DeSantis

Director, Office of Economic Development

Alan S. Manoian
Downtown Development Specialist

Board of Aldermen
Steven A. Bolton
Frederick Britton

Lori Cardin

Scott A. Cote

David W. Deane
Robert A. Dion

Kevin E. Gage

Paula I. Johnson
Stephen C. Liamos
Kevin McAfee

Brian $. McCarthy
Timothy B. Nickerson
Marc W. Plamondon
David Rootovich, President

James R. Tollner, Vice President

Planning Board
Scott Cote, Alternate Aldermanic Rep-
resentative

Kenneth ©. Dufour, Vice Chair
Steve Farkas

Betty Lasky, Chair

Mike Lowe, Mayor's Representative

Kevin McAfee, Aldermanic Representa-
tive

Claire McGrath

Hugh F. Moran.

Robert Rheaume, Secretary
William P. Slivinski

Honorable Bernard A. Streeter, Jr.

Eric Teitelman, City Engineer

Steering Committee
Reverend Rubero Adorno

Anne Barnett
Michael Buckley
Doreen Cafarella
Scott Cote
Gordon Daly
Clarence Frost
Ed Gagnon
Brad Hill
Barbara Jacobs
Stuart Jacobs
Mark Prolman.

Consultant Team
Urban Design Associates

Glatting Jackson Kercher Anglin Lopez
Rinehart, Inc.

Stuart Patz and Associates
Special thanks to the countless Nashua

residents, too many to name, who gave
their time and energy to this effort.

UR EAN DESIGN assocrates Nashua Downtown Master Plan

Executive Summary

URBAN DESIGN ASSOCIATES

A Vision for the
Next Five Years

Nashua Downtown Master Plan

Building upon existing
investments and
branching out from
Main Street, Nashua
will transform itself

from having a notable

Main Street to being a
great Downtown.

Introduction

Nashua’s history is its greatest amenity; it imbues the City
with authenticity, character, and strength. Nashua's history is
also its greatest teacher; its past teaches us powerful lessons
about the importance of urban design. The Nashua Master
Plan (the “Plan”) strives to recognize and leverage these
strengths while incorporating the needs and demands of a
globally competitive 21st century city. The execution of this
Plan will set Nashua apart from its regional competitors, assur-
ing its health, vitality, and sustainability for generations to
come.

Nashua New Hampshire is strategically located on the
Nashua River, where water could power the textile mills. The
1823 Plan for the City, drawn by Asher Benjamin,, established
a remarkably powerful yet simple design concept for the City.
The Olive Street Church and the Nashua Manufacturing
Company were set on axis with each other, within walking dis-
tance, on opposite ends of Pearl Street. Storefronts and services
for the town’s people were located between these two land-

marks. A longer avenue (the present Walnut Street) connected

DESIGN ASSOCIATES

Nashua Downtown Master

the Mill to the “South Commons.” The
first residential neighborhood was estab-
lished between the South Commons and
the Mill. On any given day, one could
walk from the Commons, to work, to
church, and to the stores lining Main
Street.

The basic lessons from Benjamin’s
plan were applied for nearly 100 years,
until the 1960's and 1970’s when its ele-
gant urban design was compromised. In
an attempt to save its Downtown, the
City embarked on an ill-fated urban
renewal program.

Throughout the 1980’s and 1990's,
thanks to grassroots organizing and one
small intervention after another, Down-
town re-established itself. Today, it is a
generally accepted fact that Downtown
Nashua has a “nice Main Street.” Side-
walks are lively, events well attended, and
investment strong.

The general appearance of health
however mask some problems. Behind
Main Street, the many neighborhoods
are fragmented and plagued by disinvest-
ment. They are not connected physically
or economically to each other or to Main
Street. Furthermore, Main Street itself,
south of City Hall, has been developed
as a suburban commercial strip.

As one charette participant stated:
“We have a good Main Street; now we
need a great Downtown.” The purpose of
this Plan is to accomplish that task. It
will do so by:

1. Celebrating Nashua’s primary
amenity: Its heritage. The clarity of

Plan

Asher Benjamin's design has
informed many aspects of this plan.
Most notably, it serves as a constant
reminder that great urban places
encourage social interaction through
a mix of uses, and that community
building must be consciously
designed to a human scale.

2 Strengthening Nashua’s most
unrealized amenity: Its natural
resources, especially the Nashua
River. Natural resources will act as a
framework for the primary connec-

tions between neighborhoods and

mixed use areas.

Downtown Today
A portion of Main
Street is strong but
many of the adjacent
neighborboods are
fragmented and
separated from this
investment by busy

arterial streets,

Downtown
Tomorrow
Landmarks and public
Spaces ave stitched
together with trails and
improved streets, thus
strengthening the

Downtown as a whole.

UR EAN DESIGN assocrates Nashua Downtown Master Plan

3 Representing a consensus vision Concept Plan

for Nashua’s future. The ideas and Main Street will
spirit of this document are a direct Become a vibrant spine
a : of miced use activities
outgrowth of the intensity and pas- ‘ % .
\ = connecting the natural

sion Nashua’s citizens have for their 4 en
; resources of Salmon

Downtown. me Creek and the Nashua
Mi River,

The Master Plan

The foundation of the Plan is public

involvement. Extensive outreach was ~ "2 :

undertaken to insure that the Plan repre- : —

sents the ideas brought forth by the resi- i iL
Concept Plan
Public and private
initiatives along the
Nashua River, Main
Street, and in the
neighborhoods will
solidify Downtown
Nashua as the heart of

the region.

UR EAN DESIGN assocrates Nashua Downtown Master Plan

dents, stakeholders, investors, and leaders
of the City. The public involvement
process included twenty focus groups,
three public meetings, and a four day
public, open design charette. In sum,
over 200 individuals took part in the
process.

A market study was conducted to
establish the feasibility of residential and
commercial markets within the five to
ten-year time horizon of this Plan. The
market study concluded that the residen-
tial market is, and will continue to be,
Downtown’s strongest market. Due to
the narrow marketing and appeal of sub-
urban housing, there is a pent up
demand for a wider range of housing
types and markets in Downtown,
Nashua, including condominiums and
affordable housing. Another strong mar-

ket is educational, cultural and institu-

tional uses. These uses, though often

non-profit and sometimes subsidized, are
critical to diversifying Downtown’s offer-
ings and to supporting Downtown retail.
The office and hotel market were not
seen as vibrant.

The market study and the public
process both recommended that the City
focus its efforts on initiatives that are
inclusive of all residents of Nashua, not
simply a narrow slice of the population.
Although Main Street remains the focus
of Downtown, many of the Plan’s recom-
mended actions concentrate on areas
beyond the lively sidewalks of Main
Street. Specifically, the Master Plan
addresses areas along the Nashua River,
Main Street South of City Hall, and
areas to the east and west of Main Street.
Design interventions at these areas are
the key to broadening Downtown’s

appeal, maximizing its market potential,

Riverfront North,
behind Cattleman’s
Restaurant

(existing: top left}
(proposed: bottom left}

Aerial Perspective of
Downtown Nashua
(existing: top right)
(proposed initiatives
bighlighted: bottom
right)

URBAN DESIGN ASSOCIATES

and distinguishing it from other cities in

the region.

Initiatives

Nashua has been successful in building
on its strengths and finding ways to
bring private, locally-based efforts
together to create a whole that is greater
than any single part. Main Street North
between City Hall and the River is an

example.

A vibrant Main Street has been created
by
- public investments in streetscaping that

improve the pedestrian experience

- private building renovations that build

Nashua Downtown Master Plan

upon the City’s architectural charac-
ter

- locally based investors and entrepre-
neurs willing to provide a product
distinct from competing suburbs and
malls.

- an aggressive and innovative schedule
of events that showcase Nashua as
the center of the region
Main Street North has become the

anchor for a wide range of new uses that

bundle restaurants, entertainment, and
retail together as sustainable develop-
ment in Downtown Nashua.

This Plan connects complimentary

Downtown businesses and destinations

West
Property located in the
flood plain will be
redeveloped into a

riverfront park,
Riverfront West

Existing Condition
(top)

Riverfront West

Proposed

Redevelopment
(bottom)

URBAN DESIGN ASSOCIATES

to create a series of initiatives around
which different activities and develop-
ments are organized. Private efforts,
along with public improvements and
public/private partnerships have been
formulated into five initiatives for the
City:

1 Riverfront West

2 Riverfront East

3 Railroad Square

4 Main Street North
5 Main Street South
Frameworks

In order to support these five initiatives,

the Plan recommends improving upon

Nashua Downtown Master Plan

and creating a series of frameworks that

connect different parts of Downtown.

The frameworks, focusing on connectiv-

ity, are designed to:

* continually enhance the pedestrian
experience on the streets of Down-
town

* support and extend the system of
bikeways and trails that link the areas
of Downtown to each other, as well
as the neighborhoods, and to the
region’s remarkable recreational and
heritage amenities

* clarify pedestrian and vehicular circu-
lation through an incremental

process of converting one-way streets

Main Street South
New Streetscaping and
redeveloped parking lots
will transform Main
Street South into a
pedestrian friendly
shopping street.

Existing Condition
(top)

Proposed

(bottom)

Nashua Downtown Master Plan

to two-way streets

* establish an alternative for the Broad
Street Parkway that provides access
to development parcels, connects the
trail system, and improves congestion
at Railroad Square

* create guidelines for architectural
character consistent with the tradi-
tion of the City and the objectives of
the Plan.

The Plan will be implemented over 10
years. Upon completion, approximately
500 new residential units, and 500,000
new square feet of
commercial/retail/office and institutional
space will be added to Downtown
Nashua. In addition, with construction of
new riverfront parks, Performing Arts
Center, Center for Nashua Heritage and
Future Technology, regional and local
trail connections, the Downtown will
become the region's center for cultural,
entertainment and recreational networks.
The primary projects to be com-
pleted within three years of adoption of
this Plan will include
- Main Street South Streetscape

(Design and Engineering)

- Bronstein Homes (Design and Hope
VI Application)

- Broad Street Parkway (Design and
Engineering)

- One Way Street Conversion Study

- Center for Nashua Heritage and
Future Technology (fundraising)

Implementation of the Master Plan
will create two legacies. The first legacy
will be a completely revitalized Down-
town with a diversified economy that
benefits all residents of Nashua. Down-
town Nashua will solidify itself as soul of
the region,; it will become an indispensa-
ble component to the region’s superior
quality of life.

Equally important to the historic
legacy described above, will be the legacy
of new partnerships and civic coopera-
tion that are essential to and will result
from implementation of this Plan. The
Plan should not be thought of as simply
a way to spend public resources - rather
it should be thought of as a way to form
partnerships, increase investor confi-
dence, raise capital, with the purpose of
leveraging public investments.

The ideas set forth in this Plan come
from the vested interests of the City's
diverse body of residents and investors.
The realization of these ideas rely on a
coordinated, cooperative and active pub-
lic sector working in tandem with a
entrepreneurial private sector. The results
of this private-public partnership will be
a lively and vibrant Downtown for all
Nashuans; a place which embodies both
its history as well as the future aspira-

tions of the region.

s Nashua Downtown Master Plan

Site Analysis