Waterfront project breaks ground

posted on: 6/23/2023

The long-anticipated waterfront development project broke ground this week during a ceremony held at the River Street site. Dozens of city and elected officials, including some who advocated for the project decades ago, attended the groundbreaking ceremony on June 20.

Jamie Stevens, the city's waterfront project construction manager, said the project will be benefit the entire community.

“I'm confident that this new Cochecho waterfront development will be a great asset to our community,” Stevens said. “It'll provide a place to recreate, walk, run, enjoy paddle sports, and most of all, enjoy the open space of the riverfront. It is a project that proves that Dover's value and resiliency, placemaking and economic development can be a success.”

Stevens then introduced Mayor Robert Carrier and Cochecho Waterfront Development Adviosry Committee Chair Norm Francassa, who praised the decades of work by city staff, volunteers and elected official.

Mayor Carrier was then joined by James Locke, president of Northeast Earth Mechanics, the firm contracted for the site work, and Jeff Johnston of Cathartes, the developer selected to construct the private development on the city-owned land, who helped with the first few shovelfulls of ceremonial dirt.

The first part of the project is public improvements, which includes constructing a new street system for site access to establishing necessary utilities for the upcoming buildings. A new 3.4-acre public riverfront park, shoreline stabilization, site grading to account for projected sea-level rise, and a new stormwater management system with green infrastructure are also part of the project.

The private development component led by Cathartes is expected to begin next year once some of the public improvements are complete. The development plan includes three mixed-use buildings, two multi-family buildings, and three clusters of townhouses.

Approved by the Planning Board in June 2022, the development aims to revitalize the Dover waterfront and introduce approximately 26,000 square feet of commercial space and 418 residential units, comprising both rental and condominium units for sale.

For more information about the waterfront development project, visit https://www.dover.nh.gov/government/city-operations/planning/cochecho-waterfront-development/