The New Hampshire Retirement System will close on a $5 million purchase of an office building at 80 Commercial Street. It was house about 80 employees.
NH Retirement System to buy Concord commercial property, which paid $127,938 in taxes in 2024
The New Hampshire Retirement System will close on a $5 million purchase of an office building near Horseshoe Pond next week, removing another revenue-generating property from Concord’s tax rolls.
The building at 80 Commercial Street, a 32,000 square-foot brick structure, will become the organization’s new headquarters for its roughly 80 employees. It currently leases space on Regional Drive, an agreement that ends in spring 2026.
“We were looking for the most cost-effective, long-term solution to house our staff and to serve our members,” said Jan Goodwin, the executive director. “This is the best fit.”
The property produced $127,938.88 in tax revenue in 2024, about a third of which went to city coffers and half to the Concord School District. As a state entity, the retirement system is tax-exempt.
The New Hampshire Retirement System manages the pensions and benefits for local and state public employees, from teachers, firefighters, police officers and tax collectors. It holds a unique place in state government – it gets state funding for its operating expenses, while its benefit formulas and eligibility requirements are set by lawmakers, but its operations and investments are managed by a board of trustees who are bound by law to act in the best interest of the system’s beneficiaries. The purchase will be funded through the Retirement System’s trust funds, Goodwin said.
Some minor renovation is expected, but the scope of the work and the official move-in date isn’t set yet, Goodwin told the Monitor.
The office space, built in 2000 as part of the redevelopment of the Horseshoe Pond area, is currently owned via an LLC by Neville Investments, a Vermont-based property management company, according to city tax records. — Catherine McLaughlin, Concord Monitor
On Thursday, Gov. Kelly Ayotte signed into law Senate Bill 4, which had broad bipartisan support. It was co-sponsored by state senators Tara Reardon of Concord, a Democrat, and Daniel Innis of Franklin, a Republican. (Courtesy photo)
NH adopts program to help developers build with clean energy
New Hampshire has joined 38 other states in adopting a program called C-PACER that lets commercial developers build certain types of projects involving clean energy more cheaply.
On Thursday, Gov. Kelly Ayotte signed into law Senate Bill 4, which had broad bipartisan support. It was co-sponsored by state senators Tara Reardon of Concord, a Democrat, and Daniel Innis of Franklin, a Republican.
The state’s PACER program lets property owners finance the cost of certain energy, water, resilience and public benefit projects through a voluntary assessment on their property tax bill rather than taking an upfront loan. This makes it cheaper and more feasible for them to add such programs to planned construction or to make construction financially viable in the first place.
In her announcement, Ayotte called the law “another tool in our toolbox to help bring even more housing development to New Hampshire.” C-PACER does not apply to residential housing but can be used by developers of multi-family buildings.
The idea has been around in various forms for decades both as C-PACER for developers of commercial, agricultural, retail, manufacturing and multifamily projects, and the much less common program for residential owners.
Under the new law, towns and cities can choose to opt into the program, which is run by a centralized authority. It replaces existing energy efficiency and clean energy districts, which were run separately by communities, a change that advocates say makes it more efficient and feasible.
This was the first bill that Ayotte signed into law since becoming governor. — David Brooks, Concord Monitor
Abigail Plante
Abigail Plante earns NH real estate license, joins Badger Peabody & Smith Realty
Badger Peabody & Smith Realty recently announced the addition of Abigail Plante as a sales associate to their team of real estate professionals.
Originally from Easton, Plante attended Profile High School, where she excelled as a three-sport athlete and served as class treasurer. She later earned dual degrees in Political Science and Business Administration from the University of Rhode Island. She has been actively using her skills in leadership, finance, and logistics for the past few years.
Plante’s diverse background includes studying abroad in Salzburg, Austria, where she developed a greater appreciation for travel and cultural exchange. Her curiosity about architecture and design led her to take courses in Landscape Architecture and Design, further deepening her understanding of what makes a house a home.
“I am excited to bring my passion, dedication, and local knowledge to every real estate transaction,” said Plante. “Whether you’re buying your first home, searching for the perfect investment property, or selling a cherished residence, I am committed to making the process smooth, enjoyable, and successful.”
Andy Smith, Broker/Owner at Badger Peabody & Smith Realty said, “For us, real estate is a career and we are pleased to welcome Abigail to our firm. Her degree in business and leadership, combined with her local roots and passion for real estate, will make her a valuable asset to our customers, clients and our community.”
Smith added, “As part of our mentorship program, Nikki Barrett-Morrison will be Abigail’s mentor. Our mentorship program is required for new agents to the real estate profession, or new to our firm. This program allows us the opportunity to ensure our sellers and buyers receive top quality real estate services, understanding that while the agent may be new to the industry, they have a strong support team of agents and staff backing them, leading to a high quality of service for our sellers and buyers.”
Exeter residents Amanda Kelly and her daughter Margot are advocates with the NH Universal Changing Station Alliance. (Courtesy of the Town of Exeter)
Dick’s Sporting Goods becomes latest enterprise to include universal changing stations in renovation
This past fall, when Dick’s Sporting Goods in Salem, NH, renovated their building to become Dick’s House of Sport, they included universal changing stations (UCS) in its plans, per a new law enacted in 2019 that requires new construction of publicly accessible buildings to include such stations.
A UCS is a 72-inch or longer, height-adjustable changing table that accommodates people of any size, from infants to adults who require sanitation changes.
Back in September 2024, Exeter’s Town Hall also installed a UCS.
“The town of Exeter remains committed in complying with ADA guidelines,” Select Board Chair Niko Papakonstantis told Seacoastonline. “Installing the universal changing table was a significant step in ensuring that our downtown is safe and accessible for all.”
The NH Universal Changing Station Alliance, which helped spearhead both projects, calls the town of Exeter “a model of both accessibility and collaboration. We encourage municipalities and entities across the state to emulate the process set forth by Exeter. They have achieved something truly momentous and have proved themselves to be leaders in the state.”
Now that the International Building Code 2024 update outlines the requirements to include UCS in public buildings, the Alliance is pushing for more developers and builders to build these stations into future projects.
In a thank-you letter to Dick’s, Amanda Kelly of the Alliance wrote, “In the entire country, there are only about 375 Universal Changing Stations installed, and in New Hampshire you have just installed the sixth one in the entire state. You are truly at the forefront of an incredibly valuable and needed movement to install changing stations that will allow older children and adults who need them to be able to access the community with dignity and a hygienic environment.” — Amanda Andrews, NH Business Review
