The school resource officer would split time between the middle school, called Armand R. Dupont School, and Allenstown Elementary School. (Photo by Nick Reid)
Allenstown to purchase former elementary school and middle school buildings
Allenstown has agreed to purchase the former elementary and middle schools for $1 each, but has very different plans for the two buildings.
The board of selectmen hopes to move the town offices into Allenstown Elementary and use the space for community gatherings. The Armand R. Dupont Middle School, which needs more renovation, will likely be sold.
The decision made Monday night comes after many discussions over whether or not the town could afford to purchase, maintain, and potentially renovate the former elementary school while weighing what to do with the former middle school. Selectmen met with the school board to discuss options earlier this month and wanted to give residents a chance to voice their thoughts throughout the process.
“I would like to thank the townsfolk,” chair of the Board of Selectmen Scott McDonald said. “There were a lot of people who offered their opinions, their recommendations, and their concerns. That doesn’t always happen. I think almost universally we had positive feedback that this is something the town should do.”
Before making the decision, the town’s elected officials worried the buildings would be purchased by a charter school, which could siphon student enrollment and $4,500 per pupil – away from the Allenstown district. Those concerns have led to answers that could inform what happens to the buildings in the event the town decides to sell.
Because the SAU 53 preschool, The Learning Connection, currently operates out of one wing of the elementary school and carries out school functions, Allenstown Elementary School would not need to be offered as a charter school in the event the town decides to sell it, McDonald said. He says he hopes the preschool will be able to stay as a tenant. The Dupont School, however, which has sat largely empty since its students, along with the elementary students, moved to the Allenstown Community School last year, would need to initially be offered up for charter school review and purchase, with St. John the Baptist Catholic Church having first right of refusal.
“It does need a significant amount of work, but I think it’s still a solid structure. We’re not sure what we’re going to do with it,” McDonald said of the Dupont School.
With the purchase and sales agreement nearly finalized, the town hopes to acquire the buildings within the next 90 days. The transition to town offices will happen when it’s “financially feasible,” McDonald said. Other entities have already expressed interest in leasing space in the elementary school, he added. For now, the town wants to finish the purchase and keep maintaining the buildings.
“Our focus right now is getting both schools on our books so we can pay the bills,” McDonald said. — Rachel Wachman, Concord Monitor
Keene council votes to delay downtown overhaul
City councilors pushed the start date for the Downtown Infrastructure Project to 2026 in an 11-4 vote during a meeting Thursday night. The vote comes about a month and a half after a councilor proposed the delay.
Bidding for the three-year project, which was to begin in the coming months, is now planned for fall this year.
A week before the decision, the Finance, Organization and Personnel Committee unanimously recommended to postpone the project at a meeting on Jan. 9. That night, members also endorsed reapplying for a multimillion dollar federal grant to cover a significant portion of the $17.4 million price tag
The original proposal to delay came from Councilor Randy Filiault, who represents the city at-large. He made the pitch on behalf of downtown business owners, who feared the economic impact on their stores. Business owners advocated for the delay, they said, because the city hadn’t communicated well enough with them about construction, and some felt they needed a year to plan for the economic impact. Fears ranged from losing business to having to close up shop. Several of the entrepreneurs came out in support during an FOP meeting on Dec. 12 where councilors also discussed the delay.
Some councilors and members of the public have expressed wanting to move forward with the project as planned in May, since a delay could cause the final cost of the project to increase. — Sophia Keshmiri, Keene Sentinel
The Boulos Company completes a medical office condo deal at 150 Griffin Road, Portsmouth
The Boulos Company announced the successful sale of 150 Griffin Road, Unit 2, a 3,805-square-foot medical office condominium in Portsmouth, NH. The property was sold by GBOS Realty, LLC to 150 Griffin Road, LLC for $1,025,000.
This acquisition represents a strategic investment for the buyer, who already owns additional units in the building. The purchase further consolidates their ownership.
The property is fully leased to a long-term tenant with a lease agreement extending through 2029, providing stable income and investment security. The transaction closed quickly, with no contingencies, before year-end.
Located just off Exit 3 of I-95 and within half a mile of Portsmouth Regional Hospital, the condominium’s prime location offers convenient access to key medical and commercial hubs in the Seacoast area.
Kent White and Caitlin Burke of The Boulos Company represented the seller in this transaction.
The interior of Revo Casino and Social House, which is to open in Conway in the former Shurfine Plaza by Feb. 1. (Photo by Daymond Steer)
Conway’s Revo Casino to be open by Feb.1
The long-awaited Revo Casino and Social House is expected to open in Conway by Feb. 1, said one of the owners, Dick Anagnost, in an interview Thursday morning.
He added that all 70 positions are filled and two local charities are poised to benefit right from the start.
Anagnost and his team have made substantial improvements to the mini-strip mall at the former Shurfine Plaza, which also houses a New Hampshire liquor store. They converted 11,800 square feet of a former grocery store into a 153-seat restaurant/bar with electronic machines and table games.
Anagnost said a plumbing inspection was completed Wednesday; that the electrical inspection is scheduled for next Monday; and the health/safety and building inspection will take place Thursday, Jan. 23. If all goes well, the Liquor Commission inspection will happen either Jan. 24 or 27.
“If we pass all of that, our (certificates of occupancy) would probably be issued Jan. 28 or 29, and probably 48-72 hours after that, we’d be open for business,” said Anagnost, adding a soft opening could occur as early as Jan. 29. “It’s a sprint to the finish.”
Revo spokesperson Tiffany Eddy said the first two charities to benefit from the casino will be Mount Washington Valley Promotions and the North Conway Community Center. They will receive funding from the casino’s proceeds for the first 10 days.
The building will include a restaurant called Rebels, which will serve pub fare such as the Rebel Burger, flatbreads and draft beer. It will also have a full bar.
There will be a stage with a lounge, and live music will performed starting at 8 p.m. every weekend. Tim Bear and Garrett Smith are the opening musicians.
The casino will open fully staffed. Anagnost said there was great interest in the 70 positions.
“We have attracted employees from Oxford Casino, and we literally got 200-300 applications for 70 positions,” Anagnost said, adding that people are also eager to play.
“My office is inundated with calls: ‘When are you opening? When are you opening? When are you opening?’”
There also will be a broadcast studio powered by iHeartMedia. The studio will play music, host talk show, and feature local content, said Anagnost.
The casino will feature 75 game machines, including “Rakin’ Bacon,” in addition to table games like blackjack, roulette and poker. There will also be a “smoking room” where people can enjoy cigars and cigarettes and play gaming machines while keeping the rest of the building smoke-free.
Anagnost said Revo won’t be as noisy as larger casinos in places like Las Vegas. Anagnost said those big casinos have acoustic setups that amplify sounds so you can hear someone celebrate a win even if they are far away.
“These big casinos are OK with carrying the sound because, you know, everybody wants to know if everybody’s winning,” said Anagnost. “Those bells and whistles are going on and off. We’re toned-down compared to that.”
The casino approval was delayed in the town’s regulatory process for much of 2023, and Anagnost even went to Superior Court, but withdrew his threatened suit after the town finally approved it.
During the long delay, word got around, and of course everyone driving past on Route 16 has been able to watch the construction progress.
“I always thought it’d be a good place, but we’ve had an overwhelming, literally, response to us going there,” Anagnost said. “I don’t think anyone in any of the casinos we’ve opened across the state has received so much attention.” — Daymond Steer, Conway Daily Sun
