Developer Mark McNabb explains his vision for improvements to Ladd Street, High Street and Haven Court as a “gift” to the city around one of his planned projects during a tour Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2023, for city leaders, staff and business owners. (Photo by Deb Cram, Seacoastonline)
Planning Board members both praised and raised concerns about developer Mark McNabb’s proposal to redevelop the former J.J. Newberry department store building in Market Square by putting “high-density co-living” housing on two floors.
McNabb is also proposing to build a roof deck on the top of the building for residents to use, featuring green space, tables and fire pits, according to preliminary plans filed with the city.
For the co-living proposal to move forward, the City Council would have to approve a change in zoning for the site, to allow for the high-density housing and no required parking, McNabb’s development team has said.
City Councilor Beth Moreau, who also serves on the Planning Board, said she’s not against co-living.
“The concerns I heard from residents that have emailed us is … how do we make sure we’re not creating a frat house, that kind of concept,” Moreau said during Thursday night’s Planning Board meeting. “How do we ensure that kind of management is done right, how do we ensure safety for all of the people living in there.”
She believes “there’s a way to do” co-living in Portsmouth, “but I agree we need to have a longer conversation about it.”
She praised McNabb for the work he’s agreed to do on Haven Court, along with redeveloping J.J. Newberry’s.
“I love the fact that we’re activating what is Haven Court right now and the alleyway. I love all the different aspects of how you’re improving the building and really activating back there, and changing that entire landscape and opening it up,” Moreau said. “It’s great, wonderful.”
‘Looks like UCLA’s dormitory’
McNabb and city officials are working on a land swap that would allow the developer to own all of Haven Court, which he is planning to pay to upgrade, along with High and Ladd streets, and the utilities underneath the roadways.
Planning Board member Paul Giuliano told McNabb he was “looking at this lush roofscape that you’ve designed, it’s really very attractive.”
“I don’t want people to confuse that this is affordable housing, this is luxury housing, it’s just probably the most affordable version of it in the downtown,” he said. “Because you’re basically getting a bed and you’d be sharing other space, and you won’t have a parking space.”
“It looks like UCLA’s dormitory if you’re looking at this lush roofscape with fire pits and stuff like that,” he said.
Giuliano shared that “my concern with that is dormitories have RAs (resident assistants), where they’re managing what’s going on in the building.”
“When we start talking about this kind of density and removing the parking requirement, what’s missing in downtown Portsmouth is essential services for residents,” he said. “You need a car to get down to the West End or to get out to Newington, to get out to a store or a pharmacy or something like that.”
If not co-living, then micro-apartments
“We’re a walkable city, but Gilley’s is only going to make so many hamburgers for the density of people that are going to be living in that area, and that’s what concerns me,” Giuliano added. “We’re a tourist city with little shops and things to visit.”
McNabb replied that “we understood it could be ahead of its time and a big ask, and that’s why we were clear that micro apartments, which is in zoning, works in this property.”
The developer previously said too that if the zoning isn’t changed, he intends to build micro-apartments on the upper floors of the former J.J. Newberry’s building at 15 Congress St.
McNabb estimated that if they built micro units there, they could probably include 35 units.
The “single resident occupancy” co-living units “would be maybe ballpark twice that, you’re talking 70 people,” he said.
City Facilities Manager Joe Almeida, who serves on the board, said the proposed redevelopment is “proving to be probably one of the most exciting projects I’ve seen come before us in my years and decades being on these boards.”
A high-end address in the middle of downtown Portsmouth
“I’m very interested in learning more about the co-living, it sounds like an exciting option,” Almeida said.
But he pointed out that “let’s face it, this is also the city core, there are a lot of things, luxury units are also appropriate here.” “You are in the middle of downtown Portsmouth, it’s a very high-end address, it really is,” Almeida said. “I commend you on trying to get a more affordable use but what makes this very luxurious is this location, in addition to all the beautiful things on your roof.”
McNabb said the development team has not yet determined how much the rental rates would be for co-living units, but across the country they typically go for between $600 to $1,000 a month.
J.J. Newberry plans part of larger Market Square development
Micro units would rent for $2,000 or more, he said.
The mixed-use redevelopment proposed for the former J.J. Newbury building seeks to be built in conjunction with a previously approved McNabb project at 1 Congress Street, which the development team is referring to as One Market Square.
That previously approved project includes the renovation of existing commercial buildings located at 1 and 3 Congress Street, demolition to portions of existing buildings, and the construction of a new 3-story addition at the rear of the existing buildings.
The One Market Square project will also include one level of underground parking.
That redevelopment will feature retail or commercial on the ground floor with residential above.
McNabb said the housing at 1 Congress Street will “be full market rates … those will be the highest priced units downtown.”
The new addition at 1 Congress Street “will extend and attach to the existing J.J. Newberry building,” according to preliminary plan documents filed with the city.
What will co-living look like?
McNabb’s development team describes high-density co-living as a residential use “providing a private or shared sleeping unit and access to communal areas for cooking (kitchen), bathroom, laundry, living, working, arts, recreation and wellness spaces,” according to the project documents.
“The sleeping unit may or may not include a private bathroom or cooking facilities. There are no defined rental periods, thereby allowing people the ability to rent, lease or otherwise make available on a daily, weekly, monthly basis, or longer,” the development team said.
During Thursday’s board meeting, McNabb said if the co-housing rezoning is approved, his development will feature “a mix of a lot of different product up there to be conducive to the space.”
“They will be a mix of everything, you will see some micro-apartments, you’ll see probably no more than six to eight rooms that would flank the common area,” McNabb said. (It’s) highly, highly unlikely it would be more than eight or ten, that would be the upper end … so there would be pods to break it up.”
“Some units would have a private sink in them, some would have a private bathroom, it would all be dependent on the layout,” McNabb added.
The discussion and comments came during the board’s preliminary conceptual consultation.
“The preliminary conceptual consultation phase provides the Planning Board with an opportunity to review the outlines of a proposed project before it gets to detailed design (and before the applicant refines the plan as a result of review by the Technical Advisory Committee and public comment at TAC hearings),” Peter Stith, the city’s planning manager, previously explained. “In order to maximize the value of this phase, board members are encouraged to engage in dialogue with the proponent to offer suggestions and to raise any concerns so that they may be addressed in a formal application.”
There were no votes taken on the project Thursday night.
This article is being shared by partners in The Granite State News Collaborative. For more information, visit collaborativenh.org.
