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Jim Donchess
Mayor e City of Nashua

To: Alderman Brian McCarthy, President
From: Mayor Jim Donchess
Date: September 19, 2017

Re: Downtown Riverfront Development Master Plan

Background & Purpose:
In November, 2016 the Community Development Division sent a memo to the

BOA detailing a Master Planning effort to create a comprehensive downtown
riverfront development plan. The Division went through a successful RFP
process and entered into contract with Halvorson Design Partnership of
Boston, MA.

The project includes the area along the Nashua River from Mine Falls Park
upstream, through the Millyard and Downtown, ending at the Canal Street
Bridge. The goal of the project was to create a concise, comprehensive
vision and prioritized plan to guide improvements along the River corridor.
Ultimately expressed in Six BIG Ideas for Nashua’s Riverfront:

1. Connectivity
Environmental Stewardship
Access to the River
Recreation & Green Space
Flood Resiliency
Economic Development

Aur»

Community Development led this initiative, with a team including
representatives from Economic Development, Planning, Waterways and the
Department of Public Works.

Public Outreach and Timeline:

The project officially launched in April, 2017 with an aggressive public
engagement process including traditional in person meetings and online
interactions through the dynamic project website. Over a few short months the
project website received over 2,100 page visits by over 1,500 unique visitors,
and over 250 comments and ideas on the map tool. In addition, the project

229 Main Street « PO Box 2019 * Nashua, New Hampshire 03061-2019
603.589.3260 »* fax 603.594.3450 + NashuaMayor@NashuaNH.gov
www.NashuaNH.gov

Jim Donchess
Mayor e City of Nashua

video received 3,000 Facebook views, 3,500 reads through various e-
newsletters, 2 articles in the Union Leader, 4 articles in the Nashua Telegraph,
and hundreds of in-person meetings with stakeholder groups, abutters and
public sessions.

After several iterations and significant public involvement the draft final plan is
attached. The Planning Board unanimously adopted the plan at their September

14" public hearing, for referral to the Board of Aldermen for final approval.

229 Main Street * PO Box 2019 * Nashua, New Hampshire 03061-2019
603.589.3260 © fax 603.594.3450 « NashuaMayor@NashuaNH. gov
www.NashuaNH.gov

A regular meeting of the Board of Aldermen was held Tuesday, September 12, 2017, at 7:30 p.m. in the
Aldermanic Chamber.

President Brian S. McCarthy presided; City Clerk Patricia Piecuch recorded.
Prayer was offered by City Clerk Patricia Piecuch; Alderman David W. Deane led in the Pledge to the Flag.

The roll call was taken with 14 members of the Board of Aldermen present; Alderman-at-Large Daniel T. Moriarty
was recorded absent.

Mayor James W. Donchess and Corporation Counsel Steven A. Bolton were also in attendance.

REMARKS BY THE MAYOR

Mayor Donchess

First I’d like to welcome all of our guests to the Aldermanic Chamber. In a number of years in city government,
| can’t say that I’ve ever seen or certainly a bigger crowd that we have tonight. | wanted to mention that we
have a lot going on downtown. Just this past weekend, Positive Street Art put on their arts festival in French
Park and Renaissance Park. We had the dinner on Main Street put on by Great American Downtown. Both
were extremely well attended. Both had a lot of energy, and a lot of people, and a lot of enthusiasm.

We also have a lot of residential conversions going on. We have the Franklin Street conversion with Brady
Sullivan converting the former Nashua Corp. to 200 units of housing. Just today Brady Sullivan bought the
next building on that row — 44 Franklin Street which has been owned by a group of local people for and with
that acquired an additional 100 units of parking.

More recently, we’ve had a little bit further in time we had Clocktower, way 25 years ago and Cotton Mill
Square. With this acquisition today with the acquisition by Clocktower of the Picker Building, we’re seeing an
increasing pace of residential development in downtown. Alphagraphics is building 3 new units above their
store for the first time the re-establishment of residences above some of the retail. We have music festivals.
We have the Farmer’s Market. We have the dance party. Back in July, the Latino Festival. We've seen a lot
of new people and businesses come to downtown to join those who have been here for so long. Martha’s did
a big conversion in the Merchant’s Exchange building — a big renovation many years ago. Since then, we’ve
seen a number of changes — MTs and Surf. More recently, Riverwalk, Riverside Barbecue, the Flight Center,
JaJaBelle’s, and Camaraderie have joined all of the long-standing businesses that we’ve had. | believe that if
you spend time downtown, you can feel new enthusiasm, new energy, and you can feel that the pace of
change. A positive change is accelerating and gaining momentum.

Now we have before us the performing arts center to replace the former anchor Alec’s Shoes. | believe and |
think many of the people here agree that the conversion of Alec’s to a city community performing arts center
will dramatically reinforce the positive changes that we know are occurring. Now the purpose of the performing
arts center, underlying purpose, is of course to provide entertainment but more important than that to build a
stronger, healthier economy downtown and citywide. We want to add to our tax base, increase our ability to
raise taxes for the benefit of all services. We want to develop a downtown and a community that can compete
for entrepreneurs, for young talent, for new families, and new residents so that for everyone — for native
Nashuans and for new residents alike Nashua is city that people love to live in.

Now the performing arts center will bring 50 to 75,000 new people downtown. Two or three performances a
week with 400 or 500 people or more attending. It will be run as a business. It will be commercially viable.
Now as you’ve read in the newspaper in the last few days, we have a potential partner with the Currier
Museum from Manchester. Probably the State’s leading artistic institution. This will bring $1 million that
formally we were afraid would go back to Manchester back to Nashua and the Currier is joining us and is
enthusiastic about this partnership. The Currier believes that the performing arts center on Main Street is a
fantastic project. They want to be part of that. When has that happened in Nashua before?

Board of Aldermen — 9/12/17 Page 2

Today by coincidence and | swear | didn’t see this person out but we had a meeting about another subject and
| ran into the man who was the chair of the first board of directors of the Capital Arts Center in Concord who
was responsible for raising money and getting the thing off the ground to begin with. He pointed out that the
Capital Center has transformed downtown Concord over the past couple of decades. If you know Concord and
you think about it, the Capital Center is actually not really in the middle of Main Street or middle of downtown.
It is south by a couple of blocks. Maybe three but right around the Capital Center, you’ve seen two major office
projects, residential development, plus the Red River Theater, plus a new place for Gibson’s Book Store, and a
lot of other things that have occurred right around the Capital Center. This former chair of that board believes
that this transformation was caused by the redevelopment of the Capital Arts Center. His comment was, “that
the Nashua performing arts center would bring incalculable benefits to the City of Nashua and that Main Street
at the corner of Pearl is the perfect place.” Those were his words for this opportunity.

| have heard some people are skeptical and | certainly understand that but | don’t agree with running Nashua
down. We are a great city with tremendous potential. Now we know that the Capital Center in Concord is a
success. That community is half the size of Nashua. We know that the Palace in Manchester is a success.
The Capital Center is twice the size of what we’re talking about. They’re even in Plymouth — a community that
has 1/6" or 1/7" the size of ours. The have the Flying Monkey. A successful performing arts center. The
Music Hall in Portsmouth is successful. A community % our size. Tupelo in Londonderry is successful. A
community 1/3 of our size. So this idea that Nashua just can’t work it, it’s just too skeptical, it’s got too much
doubt, it’s just never is going to work. | just don’t believe that. Why is it that Concord, Manchester, Plymouth,
Portsmouth, even Londonderry can make these performing art centers a success? Why can’t Nashua do the
same? | think there is no answer to that question because | think and | think the evidence and the facts show
that we would have an equal or a better success right on Main Street in Nashua.

| would like to take a moment to debunk some of the myths or the misunderstandings that | think have been
circulated in opposition to the idea that we can have a commercially viable successful performing arts center
on Main Street. First of all, the idea has been floated that Nashua is just blowing up debt. We’re just going
crazy. That is just going out of control. That is exactly the opposite of the truth. We are actually paying off
debt. We pay off $19 million of debt every year. Come June 30 without any further borrowing, we will have
$24 million less of debt that we did when | entered office less than 2 years ago. As | said, we’re paying off $19
million of debt.

Now the performing arts center which could cost debt of $15.5 million is not going to be built right away. We
need to raise $4 million first and it would be built over a couple of subsequent years. During that time, we will
continue to pay off $19 million of debt every year. If this were to take place in a couple of years, we would
have paid off an additional $38 million of debt for a total of $60 some million. We're going to borrow 15. Is it
possible that other projects would come forward? It’s possible but we would have to consider those on their
merits, consider our ability to pay at the time. The bonded indebtedness in this budget is down $1.5 million.
That’s out of pocket because we have reduced debt. So this idea that Nashua with its AAA bond rating is just
exploding in debt is totally and absolutely false.

The analysis | just gave you does not include the paving bonds. Now we haven’t even borrowed those yet.
We're trying to pave the streets. Those have a separate unrelated, separate non-tax, non-property tax source
of support. That being the Highway Block Grant that comes from the State of New Hampshire a small portion
of the automobile registrations that we collect downstairs. Again, none of that money has even been borrowed
yet. The projection is to borrow $30 some million over 5 years with an independent source of revenue while
again we’re paying down debt at the rate of $19 million a year.

A second myth is the Daniel Webster College auditorium could work as an alternative performing arts center.
That is not accurate. First of all if you’ve been there, and | remember Judy Carlson testified at the public
hearing — she’s been there. I’ve been there. Tim Cummings has been there. It is a very small theater with no
back of the house. It is less adequate than our high school auditoriums at North and South. It’s part of a larger
administration building. It would be very difficult or impossible — probably more expensive than here to convert
that and it doesn’t meet a fundamental goal that we’re trying to achieve which is a more economically vibrant

Board of Aldermen — 9/12/17 Page 3

downtown building a stronger, healthier downtown economy adding vitality and strength to downtown. Off Pine
Hill Road will not do that at all.

Another myth is that there has not been a feasibility study and that we don’t know anything about what we’re
doing. That is false. We did a two-year feasibility study paid for initially in large part by the NH Charitable
Foundation because they saw the potential for this kind of project. Two years we engaged Duncan Webb a
leading or maybe the leading consultant on performing art centers in the nation. He does not build centers.
He does not operate them. He serves as a consultant to communities so he can give them straight advice. He
has advised other communities such as Peterborough not to proceed because they didn’t think they could be
financially viable. VVhat he told us was that we should not build something as we originally thought of 1,200,
1,500, 2,000 seats because that would not work. What he told us was that we can successfully operate given
the market, given all of the circumstances a performing arts center with flexible space in the 500 to 700 seat
range. He developed a business plan. The report says how much it will cost to operate this. How much he
thinks it will bring in and he recommended that we develop and raise a $4 million private endowment which
would be used to supplement the cost of the center. The proposal that you have before you is contingency
except for the purchase of the building but proceeding with the vast majority of the project is contingent on
raising $4 million in the private sector.

Finally there’s been this myth that there is no private involvement. There’s no private partnership. Well that is
not true. First of all we have the Currier who wants to join with us. They are certainly a private institution.
They're not the government and it is contingent upon raising $4 million from our own citizens and from
businesses in Nashua. So Mr. Chair | know I’ve gone on a little while but | want to advocate that the Board of
Aldermen pass this and give Nashua a chance to succeed just like all these other communities. We are better
than them and the idea that we can’t succeed when they can is | think totally, totally wrong. So we’ve seen the
energy, the enthusiasm really heat up in downtown Nashua over the last few years. | hope that we don’t throw
a big bucket of ice water on that enthusiasm now. Instead | think we should build on what’s already happened
and make downtown Nashua an even better success than it already is. Thank you Mr. President.

| did say though before | conclude that | would mention another item — I’m sorry — the downtown parking plan
overnight parking that we are going to be moving forward with presenting a plan we think on September 27".
Parenthetically that’s another thing that’s helping downtown. We think we can present a plan to the
Infrastructure Committee at that time. Thank you very much Mr. President.

President McCarthy

I’m going to ask as we go on that we keep applause to a minimum because it actually wreaks havoc with our
poor Legislative Assistant when she listens to the tapes. If you want to applaud, provide someone to do the
transcriptions.

Are there any responses to the remarks of the Mayor?

RESPONSE TO REMARKS OF THE MAYOR - None

RECOGNITION PERIOD

R-17-124
Endorsers: Mayor Jim Donchess
Board of Aldermen
EXTENDING CONGRATULATIONS TO THE NASHUA SILVER KNIGHTS BASEBALL TEAM
Given its first reading;

MOTION BY ALDERMAN COOKSON THAT THE RULES BE SO FAR SUSPENDED AS TO ALLOW
FOR THE SECOND READING OF R-17-124
MOTION CARRIED

Board of Aldermen — 9/12/17 Page 4
Resolution R-17-124 given its second reading

MOTION BY ALDERMAN COOKSON FOR FINAL PASSAGE OF R-17-124
MOTION CARRIED

Resolution R-17-124 declared duly adopted.
READING MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETINGS AND PUBLIC HEARING

MOTION BY ALDERMAN WILSHIRE THAT THE MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF ALDERMEN
MEETINGS OF AUGUST 8, 2017, AND THE PUBLIC HEARING CONDUCTED BY THE BUDGET
REVIEW COMMITTEE ON AUGUST 28, 2017, BE ACCEPTED, PLACED ON FILE, AND THE
READINGS SUSPENDED

MOTION CARRIED

COMMUNICATIONS

MOTION BY CARON THAT ALL COMMUNICATIONS BE READ BY TITLE ONLY
MOTION CARRIED

From: Patricia D. Piecuch, City Clerk
Re: Warrant to be Committed to Chief of Police for Unlicensed Dogs

MOTION BY ALDERMAN CARON TO ACCEPT, PLACE ON FILE AND, IN ACCORDANCE WITH
RSA 466:14, COMMIT THE WARRANT TO THE CHIEF OF POLICE, OR HIS DESIGNEE, FOR THE
ISSUANCE OF CIVIL FORFEITURES TO THOSE DOG OWNERS WHO HAVE NOT LICENSED THEIR
DOGS

MOTION CARRIED

From: Mayor Jim Donchess
Re: Report on Surplus and Overlay 2018

MOTION BY ALDERMAN DOWD TO ACCEPT, PLACE ON FILE AND REFER TO THE BUDGET
REVIEW COMMITTEE
MOTION CARRIED

From: Karl Gerhard, Deputy Fire Chief, Nashua Fire Rescue
Re: | Household Hazardous Waste Collection Program Support

MOTION BY ALDERMAN SIEGEL TO ACCEPT, PLACE ON FILE AND REFER TO THE FINANCE
COMMITTEE
MOTION CARRIED

PERIOD FOR PUBLIC COMMENT RELATIVE TO ITEMS EXPECTED TO BE ACTED UPON THIS EVENING
Alan Chong, Currier Museum, 150 Ash Street, Manchester, NH

Thank you very much. I’m very happy to be here. We looked with great interest at the Currier Museum at this
plan for a performing arts center in Nashua. A robust feasibility study, an impactful design, and we began to
test | think a possibility for us joining this program. We liked the idea of using culture and the arts to revitalize
communities to give extra stimulus to cities. It’s something that we’ve witnessed around the world. I’ve spent
just a year in New Hampshire. In fact, this is my one year anniversary in the job. I’ve seen how the Capital
Arts Center in Concord, how other initiatives have really stimulated urban growth, have built a tax base, have
really made cities more desirable not only as places to live but places to visit. They provide extra amenities,
extra attractions for urban life. It’s not just an impression.

Board of Aldermen — 9/12/17 Page 5

There’s a wonderful national organization called “the Americans for the Arts”. They will test the economic
impact of cultural and performing art centers as well as new visual arts initiatives. They've responded to
commissions for Concord and for Portsmouth as they have for dozens of other cities across America. On
average they’ve been able to measure 15 to 20 percent growth in the first 4 to 5 years of a creation of a new
center. A new source of interest in the arts and culture. So that’s a statistical | think support for you to
consider in this sort of initiative.

We are interested more specifically in some kind of partnership around this performing arts center. From the
Currier Museum, we are not primarily a performing arts organization as you know. We're an art museum. We
have a collection. We have good connections with artists with curators in the region and around the world. A
space in this performing arts center lends what | think a kind of critical mass to an interesting culture so that
when people attend a convention, or performance, or some kind of event there’s also a visual arts component.
A special gallery. | think this is a model that’s worked in many places around the country. It’s something that
you might consider as well.

Now what's in it for us as the Currier Museum you might ask? We see ourselves as the State museum of art
and we’re quite clear that our mission is to serve not Manchester and not even the area around Manchester
but all of the State of New Hampshire. So when an initiative as imaginative and as impactful as the one that
you’re considering comes up, we think that we need to be involved. That involvement has to be worked out.
The details are not set in stone. It’s not fully funded but we imagine or at least we can dream that a small
gallery based on commissions, creating works of art and displays that are relevant to the City of Nashua that
will draw upon schools and the other charities in town, and would really build on the work that we already do in
this region. At the moment, every 4" grader in the Nashua Public School system visits the Currier Museum.
How wonderful would it be for them to visit also an exhibition in the new performing arts center here?

So regardless of our involvement which we are quite keen on, we think this is a great idea and we applaud it.
Raising the culture and artistic profile of a city like Nashua can only benefit the entire State and the entire
region. So we wish you luck in your deliberations. Bear in mind that we at the Currier Museum are very keen
to be closely involved in a true partnership with the City of Nashua in this particular endeavor. Thank you.

Alderman Cookson

Could you give us your name and address?

Alan Chong
I’m Alan Chong. I’m at the Currier Museum, 150 Ash Street, Manchester, NH 03104.

Cheryl Linder, 9 Stoneybrook Road

I’m President of Great American Downtown Board of Directors and I’m also the Assistant General Manager of
the Nashua Silver Knights. I’m asking the Board to be proactive in this decision. Every year Nashua is losing
out to other towns and cities in New Hampshire that have an art center like this. We’re only hurting ourselves
as a city to continually stand by and watch from afar as other cities reap the benefits of what we could have
and should have been doing for a long, long time.

This center can be a place that promotes a cooperative spirit. It is a common ground for so many of us. It can
be a place that grows community and encourages volunteerism. A place that creates opportunities in Nashua
and for Nashua. Breathing new energy into downtown will encourage a wave of positivity both financially and
culturally. It will be a source of pride in our city. Once you are here, you'll want to return. | said this at the
previous meeting a couple of weeks ago but | would like to reiterate it tonight. Whether you are a fan of the
arts or not, an art support or not, the center is not just about arts. This project represents the future of Nashua.
Which way will you take us? Down the path of the same old same old? Why that may not be the comfortable
thing to do right now, this will not be the catalyst that we need to improve quality of life in Nashua. Be brave,
be bold, take the bold path, the unknown path, the let’s see what happens path. It is an adventure that so

Board of Aldermen — 9/12/17 Page 6

many of us are ready to experience. All we need is your vote to make this a reality. This project has already
brought together so many of Nashua’s residents. Look at everyone here. This is a common ground for so
many people. It has already spurred new ideas and the hope of a better environment. Think what it will do
when it’s built and is operational. The possibilities are endless for our city. | ask that you support this project
for myself, for my family, and for all Nashuans. Thank you very much.

Mike Apfelberg, 7 Edson Street.

Good evening, Mike Apfelberg, 7 Edson Street, Ward 3. You’re going to hear probably a lot of statistics tonight
and a lot of data possibly in favor and possibly opposed. | wanted to speak really more from the heart as a
Nashua resident, homeowner, prior business owner, and the President of one of our local nonprofits. | think
over the years we’ve lived in our residence for about 14 years now. | think over the years of all of the times in
which we have taken our car and drive up the road to Concord, up to Manchester, the Capital Center for the
Arts, to the Palace Theater, over to Portsmouth, down to Lowell, and all of the fantastic Nashua dollars that are
deposited in those communities participating in the arts where they are and | magnify that by the thousands
and thousands of people in Nashua who would probably prefer to stay home and participate in our downtown
community, go to the theater, and maybe grab a bite to eat at Surf, and keep our dollars local it strikes me that
while you can debate whether the performing arts center itself may or may not cover its costs operationally and
| think there’s going to be a lot of debate about that. | don’t think there’s any question about the impact that it’s
going to have on the local economy.

So that brings me to my perspective as the President of the United Way and | should note for the record that
my board hasn’t sanctioned me being here. We haven't taken a vote on this particular issue. Frankly we really
don’t have a dog in this fight when it comes to United Way. What we do believe is in collective impact and the
theory that the rising tide does raise all ships. When we talk about the importance of financial stability and
health and education in our community, we know that a stronger community supports all of the above. It’s our
belief, my belief that by all of us staying here in the community and keeping our activity local that that’s going to
have nothing but a positive effect on the community in Nashua. I’m encouraging you to take that leap of faith
and support this arts center. Thank you very much.

Suzanne Scholl, 34 Ducas Avenue

Hi my name is Suzie Scholl and |’m from Nashua 34 Ducas Avenue, Ward 1. I’m here to offer my support to
the project however, I’d like to speak to the part of this that is really very important. This is a business. This is
obviously will be a wonderful community asset. This is a business. | think that what concerns me about all
businesses is that after 10 years 90 percent of them fail. | would disagree with what was said about certainly
the Palace Theater. | had a very nice conversation with the former Chair who said just 2 % - 3 years ago the
difficulty that they were having there trying to make ends meet. Let’s be clear. That’s a very small theater.
The Capital Center for the Arts is 1,500 seats and the other place in Portsmouth is a very nitch kind of
business that has been around for a long time. So however you decide to move, | do want to support you to
move in the direction that would be positive. However you’ve got to treat this in my opinion not unlike the
Pennichuck Water Works. That is a business. This is a business. There are risks. There are liabilities and
yes there’s upsides but there are risks and there are liabilities. Because of that, | really would like to
encourage you to ensure that the structure for this include a board that has fiduciary responsible for P&L.
Bottom line, same as what Pennichuck is. That’s number one and that % of that board be comprised of
business people in the large corporations. This is a very complex business. It is difficult to run and it’s very,
very, very, cutthroat by evidence of all these businesses around that we’ve been talking about. So everybody
is in competition for that same dollar. Okay. You've got to be respectful of that process. | will say to you as
our Mayor said in order to make this small facility work like this, you’ve got to have about 3 or 4 events where
you fill the house every week or it doesn’t break even.

Now | will say this that the second thing that has got to be done is | believe is that the Chief of Police here in
town has to conduct an investigation and to determine what the costs are going to be to manage the
environment around this facility. VWhat’s it going to cost to put police on the street to make sure that the
parking garage which as we all know all parking garages are just the center for criminal activity. It's a magnet

Board of Aldermen — 9/12/17 Page 7

for criminal activity. We've got to ensure that everyone feels safe and it’s very true about that. You ask
anyone down at the Pheasant Lane. That’s our biggest crime area because it is concentration of people and
it’s just a problem that’s going to...let’s find out what it’s going to cost to put cops on the street, to put them in
the parking lots, and to ensure that our people are safe because that’s what they do in those other facilities.
Okay.

Thirdly, | do want to stress that whoever runs this and however that’s so constituted, that’s not necessarily an
arts person. That’s a business person because you’re running a business that a person really has to know
how to put it altogether. Lastly, | will say | had heard that there was an opportunity for additional revenue by
serving alcohol. I’m not opposed to that but there are risks and liabilities for the city regarding that. So that
has to be a determination regarding policies and procedures. Although | am very much in favor of it, | will say
that these are the things that have got to be dealt with. This a business the same as Pennichuck, the same as
any other asset that we have. Finally, we’ve got other nonperforming assets in the city. We've got the place
down there on Court Street. We've got the big place over on Elm Street. Let’s make these assets produce.
How about the Hunt Library? These things don’t produce. Okay. So now we're going to enter into something
else. So this is why I’m coming forward and saying hey look | agree with this. I’m the founder of two arts
organizations. In my own business, | start new businesses and | do repositioning of nonperforming ones. Jim
30 years ago appointed me to the Commission to look at bringing a performing arts center here to Nashua a
long time ago. | get it. | really do but | just can’t impress enough that if you’re going to move in this direction,
treat it like a business, treat it for what it is otherwise it won't’ perform. Similar to what other assets have.
Thank you very much.

Theresa Moler, 88 Cannongate III Road

I’m at 88 Canongate IIl Road. I’m a resident of Nashua. | happen to be a professional puppeteer and a visual
artist. I’m in favor of the performing arts center and for many reasons but I'll just lay out a couple of reasons
I’m in favor of it. First of all it would be a good venue for me to perform in. Although | do a lot of outdoor
venues, | would love to perform in this theater, this performing arts center. Secondly I’m a member of a couple
artist associations. | want to make a suggestion that we include some time in this performing arts center
history — lots of arts associations in Nashua and stuff and maybe around the State too. It would give other art
associations a chance. | am in favor of the performing arts center. | could go on and on but I’m not going to. |
just want to speak my favor ability for this thing.

John Roche, 12 Meadowview Circle

John Roche — 12 Meadowview Circle. That’s in Ward 9. I’m a retired teacher. Very, very briefly, | just want
you to know that | whole heartedly support this project. To back that up tonight, | make a $100 pledge towards
the endowment fund. | ask for you folks to support the project with your vote tonight. Thank you very much.

Tracy Hatch, Greater Nashua Chamber of Commerce and Resident at 37 Chester Street

Mayor Donchess, Alderman McCarthy, members of the Board of Aldermen — thank you first of all for giving us
all the opportunity to speak this evening. For the record, I’m Tracy Hatch, President and CEO of the Greater
Nashua Chamber of Commerce located at 142 Main Street, and a resident of Nashua residing in Ward 3 at 37
Chester Street. I’m here tonight to express the strong support of the Chamber’s Board of Directors and our
600 plus members as well as my own personal and passionate support for R-17-116 relative to bonding for a
performing arts center in Nashua.

First my thanks to the members of the Board for taking the time to speak with me over the past few weeks
about this important opportunity particularly my own Ward 3 Alderman Schoneman for his thoughtful questions
in our discussion last night. Our Board of Directors took strong position on the arts when we adopted our
strategic plan in 2016 stating that we will actively promote, support it, and thriving arts and cultural environment
in Nashua and that we would specifically work with city officials and other key community leaders to bring a
performing arts center to Nashua. Our Board reiterated its support for the pack when City Economic
Development Director Tim Cummings provided an update at our June Board of Director's meeting. | most

Board of Aldermen — 9/12/17 Page 8

recently carried that message to this Board’s Budget Review Committee on August 28" when the Committee
met to consider this legislation at a hearing which demonstrated as tonight’s meeting does overwhelming
support of public comments from across the city.

We recognize that this is a significant undertaking for the city and that there are costs involved. Those of you
familiar with my own record as an alderman her many years ago may remember that | never took financial
commitments lightly and that has not changed. However, our Board also believes that the positive economic
impact of a performing arts center on downtown in particular and on the greater Nashua region as a whole will
be significant. A pack will not only have the direct impact of bringing people downtown to shop, dine, and to
attend performances but it will have the positive indirect benefit of adding to our city’s vibrancy making it more
attractive to young people, to highly educated skilled workers, and to businesses looking to relocate or expand
in Nashua. The recently released report by Americans for the Arts provides significant insight in the value of a
vibrant arts and cultural presence in a community. In fact the four New Hampshire communities studied —
Rochester, Concord, Portsmouth and the Monadnock region benefit from a combined $120 million of positive
economic impact from audience goers alone not the operating or capital expenditures by the performing arts
organizations themselves just by audience goers every single year. Of that which may be a particular interest
to you all, local government revenues from taxes, fees and licenses totaled $6.5 million each year. These
audience goers were highly educated on average 78 percent had a four-year college degree or higher. These
audience goers were from a higher income household. On average, 54 percent had household income of
$80,000 a year or more. A significant percentage of these audience goers came from other communities. On
average, over a third of attendees did not live in the community where the performance they attended was held
so new revenues were coming into that community.

In short, these are the very people we want to attract into Nashua — well educated, economically successful,
and often non-residents who will get a chance to see how truly great our community is and hopefully chose to
make their homes and locate their businesses here. We strongly urge a positive vote on R-17-116. The
economic promise of this project is there for us to grasp and promises to continue to yield benefits, economic,
cultural, social, and educational for generations to come. Thank you for your time and your attention. | do have
copies of our letter of support for all of you. Thank you very much again.

Allyssa O’Mara, 30 Front Street

Good evening. |’m a little nervous but as a resident of Ward 3 for the past four years, | felt the need to speak
before tonight’s going on the proposed performing arts center. I’ve been at attendance at most of the previous
meetings and I’m grateful to have the opportunity to speak. To those aldermen that are opposed or undecided,
| understand that you feel that you’re representing the majority of your wards in the city. Perhaps I’m in the
minority, although | don’t feel like that tonight in my thinking, but | just can’t find a negative in regards to the
subject of the center. It seems to me like the main issue people are having are the financial obligation the city
would be taking on. Again, | don’t see a negative. To make money, you must spend money. | say this not just
as a resident of Ward 3 but also as a small business owner and entrepreneur in Nashua. The potential
revenue the city in all of its small businesses would accrue seems well worth the initial or costs incurred.

We as a city have been discussing ways to attract new young professionals since the Mayoral Election a few
years ago. With all the development of housing, text startups, spaces, etc., wouldn’t the new venue be an
attraction particularly in Nashua where there really isn’t a lot to do as a young professional other than go to the
bar in the evening. | personally would relish a new venue with different types of entertainment. | feel as
though I’m in your target demographic. I’m a 30 something female, small business owner, who moved back to
Nashua after nine years being away. | didn’t think at that time that | would or could love this city as much as |
do. | didn’t know that | would open my own business and | couldn’t be more grateful for the downtown
business community that has welcomed and supported me in my first year through today even though I’m
technically in the Millyard.

This amazing little city that we live in is changing and | believe it’s time for us to pick up the pace and change
with it. We need a Main Street revolution and the performing arts center would be the catalyst. | commend
Cheryl and Tim from Tangled Roots and Danielle and Cami from Camaraderie Boutique for being in the first