Mayoral Notes: Goddard Block latest city center project to receive award

By Charlene Lovett
By Charlene Lovett

When Kevin Lacasse of New England Family Housing first approached the Claremont City Council to propose his rehabilitation project, the Goddard Block was a condemned building in the city center.

Built in 1926 and owned by the Goddard family until 1965, the building underwent several changes in ownership, deteriorating over time and eventually shut down by the city for health and safety code violations in 2017. Lacasse’s vision was to retain the Goddard Block’s historical significance and transform it into new, affordable housing and commercial space.

The city approved the project which was completed last year. In recognition of the project’s success, the New Hampshire Preservation Alliance presented Lacasse with the Preservation Achievement Award on Wednesday, May 12.

One of seven projects in New Hampshire to win this year’s award under the category of Rescue, Rehabilitation and Revival, the Goddard Block’s significance as part of the city’s historic district is restored. The investment of more than $10 million into the building was the result of private-public partnerships, combining private funds with tax incentives from all levels of government.

It is the latest in a series of award-winning rehabilitation projects in Claremont’s City Center and is the prelude for further revitalization efforts along Pleasant Street scheduled for this year.

Other award-winning projects in Claremont’s City Center include:

Oscar Brown Block: Situated on the corner of Pleasant Street and Opera House Square, the building now houses both apartments and the Taverne Restaurant. In 2010, the New Hampshire Preservation Alliance presented the Claremont Development Authority with the Preservation Achievement Award for “the outstanding rehabilitation and reuse” of the building.

Monadnock Mill District: Located along Water Street, the mill district now houses The Common Man Inn and Restaurant and Red River. In 2010, the New Hampshire Preservation Alliance also presented the City of Claremont with the Preservation Achievement Award for “outstanding rehabilitation and revitalization” of the mill district. In addition to that award, the project also won a New Hampshire American Institute of Architects (AIA) Merit Award and a Plan New Hampshire Merit Award.

Monadnock Mills Boarding House/Store House #5: Located on Water Street, the building now houses the Ink Factory. In 2017, the New Hampshire Preservation Alliance presented Jeff and Sarah Barrette, owners of the Ink Factory, the Preservation Achievement Award for “outstanding revitalization” of the building.

However, these are not the only rehabilitation projects that have occurred in the Claremont City Center since 2010. The sawtooth building on Upper Main Street, once a brownfield site with a collapsed roof, now houses the Claremont MakerSpace.

Currently, Chinburg Properties is transforming the once empty Peterson building on Water Street into 83 market rate apartments. The renovation of the Farwell Block on Opera House Square is almost complete. Next to it, a building that stood vacant for 25 years is being turned into a cultural arts center.

In just a few weeks, the city will begin its downtown revitalization project to redesign Pleasant Street and replace the underlying infrastructure.

All of this represents a willingness in both the private and public sector to invest in Claremont in a manner that preserves the city’s assets and produces quality results. Over the last 11 years, tens of millions have been invested in the city center. Such development has brought new business and housing opportunities while simultaneously preserving the architecture that makes Claremont unique.

We celebrate that investment and those who have worked to make revitalization a reality.

Charlene Lovett is the mayor of Claremont and a 22-year Army veteran. She welcomes your feedback. Please email questions, comments or concerns to her at [email protected].