Developer Hopes to Extend Downtown

Spectacular views, wide sidewalks and a true gateway to the city's northern tier is how the developers of 111 Maplewood Avenue envision their project.

Located on a lot that includes the former Portsmouth Herald building, the residential/commercial development hopes to extend the downtown to this part of the city, according to Lisa DeStefano of DeStefano Architects in Portsmouth.

Her firm is doing the design work for the property's owners who are listed as Maplewood Vaughn Holding Co., LLC, according to documents on file at the city's Planning Department at City Hall.

According to the project's preliminary site plans, they hope to build a 32,000-square-foot building with on site parking and four floors, three of which would house 70 apartments. The ground floor would house retail shops and offices.

The development would be constructed on land located between Vaughn Street and Raynes and Maplewood avenues. It would also be located next to the Portwalk development, which recently broke ground for the third and final phase.

DeStefano said the developers recently presented their latest plan to the city's Historic District Commission on March 13 and they plan on bringing it back before the HDC when it meets in April. At this point, DeStefano said the development has met the HDC's mass, height and parking requirements, which means the developers can now focus on refining the actual design. She said the proposed building is 40 feet tall, which meets the city's zoning ordinance.

She said the developers hope to gain approval from the HDC and Planning Board later this year and break ground in the fall with a construction completion slated for sometime in 2014. When finished, DeStefano said the upper level apartments will be very appealing for people who want to live in downtown Portsmouth.

"The views are just spectacular," she said. Apartment owners will be able to enjoy clear views of the North Mill Pond, the new Memorial Bridge, the Sarah Mildred Long Bridge, the Piscataqua River and the downtown.

When asked what the project will add to downtown Portsmouth, DeStefano said it will redefine the city's northern tier neighborhood and apartment owners will be able to walk from their new homes to downtown much better than pedestrians are able to now.

"The energy from the downtown will be extended to that area," she said. The project will also improve the city's urban development. Currently, when people drive over the Sarah Mildred Long Bridge into Portsmouth, they see a building and some parking lots, DeStefano said. If and when this project comes to fruition, the view will be totally different, she said.

She added the developers have not established a total cost for the project because it is still in the planning stages.