Dover breaks ground on Cochecho River redevelopment: What to expect and when it's coming

DOVER — A decades-in-the-making redevelopment of the city's waterfront — now set to start in a matter of days — was celebrated by current and former project leaders Tuesday alongside a gleaming Cochecho River.

With funding and approvals in place, after years of efforts from countless Dover officials, the city will soon embark on its portion of the large-scale project — a public park.

The milestone was marked in the River Street lot where Cathartes, a Boston-based development company, will build a large-scale mixed-use development with hundreds of housing units plus eateries, offices and more. Dozens of past and present waterfront leaders, mayors, City Council members, volunteers, city staff and community members attended the city’s official groundbreaking for the project.

“With all the work you people have done, and all the toughness that it’s taken to get us this far, it’s really incredible,” said Mayor Bob Carrier, one of three people given a shovel and hard hat for the groundbreaking. “It’s an incredible feat. I’m very much so looking forward to seeing the first building going up and the recreation that’ll occur here.”

The city will conduct its public park improvements over the course of roughly the next year, paving the way for Cathartes to begin the first phase of its multi-year development, likely next spring.

Jamie Stevens, construction project manager for the city, is taking the reins of the redevelopment.

“I'm confident that this new Cochecho waterfront development will be a great asset to our community,” he told the crowd. “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.”

Wil Boc, Dover’s mayor from 1998 until 2002, and a former city councilor, ran on the platform of beautifying the riverfront three decades ago.

The idea didn’t begin with him, though, he said, as he interacted with Dover leaders before him who had the same goal at least two decades earlier.

“It’s taken a lot of time and a lot of effort. I’m glad to see it’s come to fruition,” Boc said.

What is coming to Dover's new public park?

The city is responsible for constructing a 3.4-acre public park that will feature a public boat dock and kayak launch, among other amenities. Later this week, work will begin with removal of vegetation around the site.

Steve Bird, who retired last week from his position as the city’s waterfront public improvements project manager, noted the project will also include shoreline stabilization work, road construction, utilities implementation, and raising of the site’s elevation.

“It’s been a grind but this is the day we’ve all been waiting for,” he said.

How much will the public improvements cost?

At a price of over $19.5 million, the city has hired Northeast Earth Mechanics LLC of Pittsfield to complete the public improvements. This is an increase from past cost projections of between $13 million and $15 million. Prices increased due to supply chain trends and inflation, prompting additional bonding from the city.

This spring, the City Council voted to increase the maximum bonding by $6 million over the previously approved $14 million.

The city will also upgrade the River Street pump station and conduct odor control mitigation at the site, work expected to cost between $11 million and $12 million, according to a past estimate from Deputy City Manager Christopher Parker.

When will construction begin on the private development?

Cathartes waterfront project manager Rob Simmons noted the city’s work is expected to conclude in April 2024.

“We’ll break ground on our first phase shortly after and construction is anywhere from 18 to 24 months,” Simmons said, referring to the first phase. “We hope to see some of the buildings opening in late 2025.”

Definitive dates for the beginning of Cathartes’ second and third private project phases have not been determined, though Simmons expects they’ll commence shortly after the completion of the first phase.

How many housing units will be built by Cathartes?

The first phase, Simmons said, will include 197 apartments, 14 townhouses and 20,000 square feet of commercial space — a combination of office, retail, food and beverage space.

Cathartes’ second phase of work will include 158 apartments and 5,800 square feet of commercial space. The third phase will feature nine townhouses and 42 apartments and condominiums.

The scope of Cathartes' work will bring more than 400 riverside residential units and roughly 26,000 square feet of commercial space, spread across three mixed-use buildings, two multi-family buildings and three clusters of townhouses.

The guaranteed minimum assessed values of the whole private project, the basis for property taxes, according to Cathartes’ amended development agreement with the city, will hit $35 million by fiscal year 2026. According to the city, by fiscal year 2032, the minimum assessed value will skyrocket to $75.5 million.

This article originally appeared on Fosters Daily Democrat: Dover NH Cochecho River redevelopment breaks ground: What to expect