UR EAN DESIGN assocrates Nashua Downtown Master Plan
Master Plan
The Master Plan is
comprised of many
initiatives throughout
Downtown.
Implementation will
belp transform
Downtown from a good
Main Street to a great
Downtown.
" Nashua
e@®" Public
Ge Library
February 2, 2016
Mr. Brian McCarthy, President
Nashua Board of Aldermen
City of Nashua, NH
Dear President McCarthy,
The Board of Library Trustees requests a Joint Convention with the Mayor and Board of
Aldermen for the purpose of placing the name of Holly Klump in nomination as Library
Board Trustee for a seven year term to expire on March 31, 2023.
Ms. Klump was recently selected to finish the term previously held by Maurice Arel,
which will expire on March 31, 2016.
Sincerely,
a
LLphiaew as O)2- 2 Lees,
Arthur L. Barrett, Jr., Chairman
Board of Library Trustees
Nashua Public Library
Cc: James Donchess, Mayor
Patricia Piecuch, City Clerk
ALB/acs
2 Court Street | Nashua, NH 03060 | 603.589.4600 | www.nashualibrary.org
UR EAN DESIGN assocrates Nashua Downtown Master Plan
Il
Riverfront West
THE TERM “RIVERFRONT WEST” DOES NOT currently exist in the
everyday language of Nashua residents. Historically, the
Nashua River was both the engine and the sewer for industry.
Only in recent years has the City begun to look at its rivers and
riverfronts as opportunities for non-industrial, private invest-
ment and more importantly, for “quality of life” public invest-
ments in parks.
With only one river crossing and the historic pattern of
“backing buildings onto” the river, the two sides of the Nashua
River have always been viewed as separate places. The River-
front initiatives seek to develop the river as the connector for a
Riverfiont West
UR EAN DESIGN assocrates Nashua Downtown Master Plan
single, mixed-use community.
In order to harness the power of the
river to drive the Mill’s turbines, many of
Nashua’s oldest industrial buildings were
located in the flood plain. Those that
have been redeveloped have sealed off
their lower floors to protect against
flooding. Building new, habitable build-
ings in the flood plain is not feasible.
Therefore, the Master Plan uses the 37
flood plain delineation for guidance as to
where buildings can and cannot be
located. A riverfront park becomes the
“highest and best use” for the flood plain,
This proposed riverfront park will
become one of Nashua’s most valuable
investments.
Initiatives
A Riverfront West
Park
B Nashua Corporation
Buildings
C Broad Street
Parkway
D Redeveloped
Millyard
E Redeveloped
Bronstein Apartments
F Reconfigured
Courthouse Oval
G The Center for
Nashua Heritage and
Future Technology
Flood Plain
Many of the buildings
in the proposed
Riverfront West area
are located in the flood
plain (shown in light
blue}
DESIGN ASSOCIATES
Riverfront West Park
Much of the land on the north bank of
the Nashua River is in the flood plain.
These parcels of land can become the
jewel and center of Nashua's riverfront
park system. The park should include
both active and passive uses, including
play fields and an outdoor amphitheater.
All new development in the flood plain
are event oriented structures not subject
Nashua Downtown Master Plan
to flood plain regulations for habitable
structures. Front Street will become a
park drive and the new front door to
fully redeveloped Nashua Corporation
buildings. The regional trail system
should be incorporated in the park.
On the south bank of the river, Le
Parc de Notre Renaissance Francaise
should be improved. The Water Street
ramp currently looms over this park,
Riverfront West
Park
(sop)
The flood plain will be
converted into the City’s
largest Downtown
open space, as well as
being connected to the
greater regional park
system.
Clock tower Place
(middle)
more
industrial buildings,
like Clock tower Place,
will enliven this area of
Downtown with new
residents.
Water Street Ramp
Le Pare de Notre
Renaissance Francaise
can be improved by
eliminating one row of
parking (existing,
bottom left} and
creating a screen of
landscape (proposed,
bottom right).
UREAN
DESIGN ASSOCIATES
detracting from its beauty. A row of per-
pendicular parking should be removed
and replaced with a row of parallel
parking in order to provide a planting
strip to mask the base of the ramp.
Redevelopment of Nashua
Corporation Property and Buildings
Further adaptive reuse of the historic
Nashua Corporation buildings will
require improved access and replacement
parking. The Master Plan proposes
extending Front Street as a park drive for
the new Riverfront West Park which will
allow the Nashua Corporation buildings
to reorient themselves to the river, taking
advantage of a new park address.
The Master Plan also identifies four
optional locations for a parking garage
serving the former Nashua Corporation.
The preferred location is adjacent to the
Nashua Corporation buildings, across
Franklin Street. This parking garage
could be shared with businesses at Rail-
road Square and adjacent to the Main
Street bridge.
All four sites for the parking garage
should be more thoroughly studied by
Nashua Downtown Master Plan
the City. The garage must achieve the
following objectives:
facilitate redevelopment of Nashua
Corporation buildings
accommodate parking needs of busi-
nesses at Railroad Square
introduce minimal negative impacts
on surrounding neighborhoods
have multiple access and egress
points
minimize the negative impact on
Railroad Square traffic flow
minimize property acquisition, espe-
cially that of affordable housing.
Broad Street Parkway
Directly serving this area of Downtown,
the Broad Street Parkway must fulfill a
number of needs:
provide access to important redevel-
opment sites
become a development address
address issues of air quality by
improving traffic congestion at Rail-
road Square
serve as a framework for a trail con-
39
Four potential sites for
parking garage
UR EAN DESIGN assocrates Nashua Downtown Master Plan
nections
* not a Downtown bypass
The Master Plan recommends the Broad
Street Parkway connect to Franklin
Street as well as the Millyard. This align-
ment will route through-traffic directly
across Railroad Square, thereby alleviat-
ing the cumbersome dogleg movement
that currently exists.
In addition, and equally important, 40
the Broad Street Parkway will have a
small, two-lane bridge providing direct
access to the Millyard. The bridge con-
nection will link into an extension of
Pine Street which in turn will provide
access to Downtown via Central Street.
This bridge connection will also provide
a trail crossing from one side of the
Nashua River to the other. (Additional
Broad Street
Parkway
The preferred
alternative for the
Broad Street Parkway
(left) will provide access
to redevelopment
opportunities, as well as
reduce congestion at
Railroad Square.
Recommended cross-
section (section A-A}
(top left)
Recommended cross-
section at the new
bridge (section B-B)
(top right)
URBAN DESIGN ASSOCIATES
discussion of the Broad Street Parkway is
located in the Transportation Appendix.)
Bronstein Apartments
Currently an inward facing public hous-
ing project, the Master Plan proposes a
transformation of the 48 units of public
housing into a 100-unit, mixed-income,
mixed-financed neighborhood. The ori-
entation and condition of the existing
units are such that rehabilitation or mod-
ernization will provide only marginal
improvements in the quality of life.
The Master Plan proposes extending
Palm Street, Ash Street, Vine Street, and
Chestnut Street through the Bronstein
site to an extended Myrtle Street. Four
simple, developable blocks are thus cre-
ated for medium-density housing. The
County Health and Human Services
building would be moved from its cur-
rent location, and the block would be
used for additional housing, providing a
new front door to this Downtown site. A
small park, central to the new housing
would be built which would be an
amenity for the Tree Streets Neighbor-
Nashua Downtown Master Plan
hood linking the new housing to the 4I
existing neighborhood. The redevelop-
ment of Bronstein Apartments could be
phased and implemented without relo-
cating any of the existing residents.
Millyard Redevelopment
The Millyard represents one of Down-
town's most promising redevelopment
possibilities. The Millyard possesses a
rich mix of industrial buildings and prox-
imity to urban amenities. It is a prime
location to create living-wage jobs along
with loft housing and live/work units.
In addition to rehabilitating the
existing structures, several sites have been
identified for new construction . The
extension of Pine Street and a new loop
Bronstein
Apartments
Illustrative Plan of
Bronstein Apartments
(top)
Proposed view of the
redeveloped Bronstein
Apartments along
Central Street (bottom)
DESIGN ASSOCIATES
road will access these sites and create a
connection to Mine Falls Park. Redevel-
opment of the Millyard will create multi-
ple trail connections between Main
Street and Mine Falls Park.
Courthouse Oval and Other
Street Improvements
The Master Plan recommends several
simple but important changes to the
street system. The original Plan for
Nashua, established by Asher Benjamin
between 1824 and 1827, created a strong
relationship between the Millyard and
Main Street. Factory and Pearl Streets
connected the two areas of Downtown.
Nashua Downtown Master Plan
Over time, however, that relationship has
eroded. One-way streets, traffic ovals,
and inward-facing development have all
but rendered the Millyards and Main
Street as separate districts.
The Master Plan seeks to re-estab-
lish this direct relationship with revised
street connections and modifications.
Most importantly, the traffic oval around
the County Courthouse should be
removed and replaced with two-way
streets. Two additional development sites
are identified, as well, east and west of
the current Courthouse.
Central Street, Pearl Street, and Fac-
tory Street should also be converted to
two-way streets. (Additional discussion
of one-ways street conversion is found in
the Frameworks section and the Trans-
portation Appendix).
The Center for Nashua Heritage and
Future Technology
The Center for Nashua Heritage and
Future Technology is proposed along
Factory Street. This 40,000 sq..ft.
museum and learning center will become
Illustrative Plan of
Millyard
redevelopment; new
buildings in dark red
(fer te}
The Center for Nashua
Fleritage and Future
Technology, in purple
(ep)
URBAN DESIGN ASSOCIATES
a major attraction for Nashua. The
museum will showcase Nashua's strong
industrial heritage as well as provide
interactive areas for learning the new
technologies being developed in the
Region. The recommended site, between.
Factory and Water Street, is a strategic
Downtown site perfect for this facility.
Located less than a block from Main
Street, the museum and learning center
will have a Main Street presence without
occupying valuable Main Street retail
frontage. The building will face both
Factory Street and Water Street. Its front
on Factory Street will help re-establish
Benjamin’s historic axial relationship that
once existed between the Olive Street
Nashua Downtown Master Plan
Church and the Millyard. 4B
The facility will benefit from an
existing parking garage located directly
across Factory Street. An additional level
may need to be added to this garage to
accommodate museum visitors as well as
to absorb the loss of parking that cur-
rently exists on the proposed museum
site.
As a “through-block” building, the
museum should provide in its design
open, public access between Water Street
and Factory Street. Another access point
between Le Parc de Notre Renaissance
Francaise and Factory Street will further
aid pedestrian circulation.
Existing Park: Le Pare
de Notre Renaissance
Francaise and Nashua
River
(top)
Proposed Riverfront
West Park on the north
bank of the Nashua
River
(bottom)
