City releases bid for public improvements to waterfront site

posted on 9/30/2022

In another milestone for the waterfront development project, the City of Dover released its bid for public improvements to the waterfront development site to the four firms the city prequalified earlier this year.

Public improvements include constructing a new street system to provide site access and the utilities necessary to serve the proposed buildings. Other improvements include the construction of a new 3.4-acre public riverfront park, stabilization of the Cochecho River shoreline, site grading to raise the elevation to account for projected sea level rise, and installing a stormwater management system with green infrastructure. Depending on the cost of the bids received, the city may elect to upgrade aspects of the public park in phases.

The bids, due on Oct. 26, 2022, were sent to NorthEast Earth Mechanics, LLC., of Pittsfield, Severino Trucking Co, Inc., of Candia, S.U.R. Construction, Inc., of Rochester, and Sargent Corporation of Stillwater, Maine, which were prequalified through a request for qualifications the city released on Feb. 24, 2022. The request for qualifications was to determine which firms could undertake such a significant project.

The city’s contracted consultant team wrote the bid specifications based on their design for the public portion of the project. The team includes Horsley Witten Group., Inc., of Sandwich, Massachusetts, Ironwood Design Group of Newmarket and GZA of Bedford. The design was vetted by the Cochecho Waterfront Development Advisory Committee (CDWAC) and approved by the Planning Board on June 14, 2022.

As part of the Land Development Agreement between the City of Dover and Cathartes, the developer selected for private developments to the site, the city agreed to fund public improvements up to $15 million in site improvements to be repaid through tax guarantees. The city will service the bond for the debt by utilizing funds from the waterfront tax increment finance district (TIF).

Cathartes’ CWDAC-vetted site plan for the private development of the waterfront was also approved by the Planning Board on June 14. Construction for the private development is anticipated to begin next year once portions of the public improvements are completed. Cathartes plans to build three mixed-use buildings, two multi-family buildings and three clusters of townhouses. The buildings include 418 residential units and approximately 26,000 square feet of commercial space. The residential units include a mixture of rental and for-sale condominium units.

Click here for more information about the waterfront project and its history.