a
120
TIF DISTRICT
240
Feet
480
Appendix B
2003 Downtown Master Plan
Nashua/New Hampshire
Nashua Downtown Master Plan
Preparedby URBAN DESIGN ASSOCIATES
Prepared for
City of Nashua, New Hampshire
May 2003
URBAN DESIGN ASSOCIATES
Table of Contents
Acknowledgements
Executive Summary I
A Vision for the Next Five Years
Site Analysis 9
I X Rays
1m ——_—- Precedents
1m Historic Analysis
The Planning Process 18
I Overview of the Process
1m = Summary of Interviews and
Focus Groups
m1 Urban Design Principles
Market Strategies 26
I Economic Development Strategies
1 Residential Strategies
m Retail and Entertainment Strategies
Initiative Areas and Opportunites 33
I Introduction
i —-Riverfront West
i —- Riverfront East
iv Railroad Square
v Main Street North
vi Main Street South
Frameworks 71
I Streets: Access and Connectivity
u ‘Trails
m Design Guidelines
Implementation 90
I Phasing
UR EAN DESIGN assocrates Nashua Downtown Master Plan
un — Costs
Appendices (under separate cover)
I Transportation
nm Market Analysis
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 assocrares 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 assocrares 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 ae
; resources of Salmon
Downtown. me Creek and the Nashua
i River,
The Master Plan
The foundation of the Plan is public
involvement. Extensive outreach was 3 "2 :
undertaken to insure that the Plan repre- ; —
sents the ideas brought forth by the resi- i L.
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.
