Residents Complain of Size of Whole Foods Project

Several residents said a downtown development plan that includes a Whole Foods, hotel, and public park is too big for the location.

The developer, HarborCorp, presented a rough outline of the project to the Planning Board Thursday night. HarborCorp also developed the Sheraton Harborside Hotel, located next to the proposed Whole Foods project.

"Our commitment to Portsmouth has been a real and long-standing one," Chris Thompson, of HarborCorp, told the board.

Thompson said the project will create "hundreds" of jobs. Located at the corner of Russell Street, Deer Street, and Maplewood Avenue, it will have a footprint of 72,680 square feet and a 5-story building. There will also be room for 658 parking spaces. The Google Map above shows the current parking lot where the development will go in.

Several residents said the project is simply too big.

"This building is the antithesis of the essence of Portsmouth," said Jerry Zelin. "This will be bigger than (the) Portwalk." 

The hotel would have 98 rooms. The hotelier has not been announced yet.

"A 98-room hotel is much too big," said resident Christine Davidson. "It isn't 98 people that will be in those rooms. It's twice that."
 
Thompson argued the project represents "smart development." The builders will pursue LEED sustainability standards, he added. Construction would take two years.

The Portsmouth location would be Whole Foods' second in New Hampshire. The first is set to open next year in Nashua. The Portsmouth store is set to open in 2016.