The Wilder Companies/Rochester Crossing: Route 202/Washington St. – Construction is in full swing at the roughly 305,000 square foot Rochester Crossing being built by the Wilder Companies. The 50-acre site – a $35 million venture – is to be anchored by a 69,000 square foot Kohl’s and a 171,000 square foot Lowe's Home Improvement Center. It will feature Famous Footwear, Maurices, Fashion Bug, Starbucks, and other retailers and restaurants. The Planning Board approved the project in 2006. Other national retail and restaurant tenants are to be announced. It is estimated 400 new jobs will be created, in addition to 200 construction jobs, and an estimated 6.25% increase in the City’s commercial and industrial tax base.
Holiday Inn Express: Rte. 11; corner of Farmington Road and Little Falls Bridge Road – Rochester’s first nationally branded hotel, Holiday Inn Express, is constructing a prototype 78 room hotel with an indoor swimming pool on Route 11 in Rochester. The Planning Board approved this project unanimously with many business owners in the community coming to the final meeting to show support for the project. Construction is well underway with an anticipated October 2007 opening.
Riverwalk: Cocheco River – A Design Charrette was held in September 2004 for the Cocheco Riverwalk, and many residents and businesses participated in the two-day event. Planning continues, and a new residential project was approved by the Planning Board that incorporates the Riverwalk’s path. It is hoped the 1.2-mile stretch will have opportunities for nature trails as well as restaurants, retail and residential uses. It is planned to have the Hanson Pines Forest Preserve as one anchor and the Rochester Fairgrounds as the other anchor to the project.
Frisbie Memorial Hospital Expansion: 11 Whitehall Road – Frisbie Memorial Hospital has been serving the Rochester region since 1940, and is planning an extensive expansion. This will include 88,000 square feet of new construction, 22,000 square feet of renovation and cost approximately $42,500,000. Frisbie is the City’s second largest employer, and as part of this project, will be adding staff in Women’s & Children’s Health, Cardiology, Endoscopy and Pharmacy.
TREE expansion: 90 Rochester Neck Road – Waste Management has successfully applied to expand the existing refuse disposal facility, anticipating consistent operations through 2020. They are currently seeking energy users for the landfill gas produced and have a master-planned Industrial Park at the 1,200-acre facility.
Waste Management/UNH Pipeline: 90 Rochester Neck Road to Durham - The University System Board of Trustees approved a $45 million methane gas pipeline after months of planning and local debate. The pipeline will be underground and stretch more than 12 miles. UNH officials said the pipeline's route would go from the Turnkey Landfill, operated by Waste Management in Rochester to the Durham campus, where the university will build a processing plant, it will head under the Cocheco River, down England Road to Blackwater Road, and along the Spaulding Turnpike until it picks up with the Boston to Maine railroad bed, Route 4 and then UNH. UNH representatives have also said that testing supports current landfill capacity producing enough gas to feed the university's gas line for at least 20 years. The methane gas will provide heating and cooling to the campus by fueling the turbines and power 85 percent of the entire campus.
Linscott Court Apartments: Columbus Avenue – The Housing Authority project at the former Encore Shoe building will become 57 workforce-housing units. Construction is in full swing and anticipated to take approximately 12 months.
Nantucket Beadboard: 109 Chestnut Hill Road – Nantucket Beadboard relocated to Rochester in 1998 and is on their 2nd major expansion since that time. The latest includes a new 13,000 square foot building at their existing 13-acre site.
Laars Heating Systems: 20 Industrial Way – This subsidiary of Bradford White is in the midst of a major expansion, adding 60,000 square feet of manufacturing space and more than 60 new employees. Phase I is complete and they are now planning to move onto Phase II and III. They are now one of Rochester’s Top 10 Employers.
Dumont Property Group: 25 Old Dover Road – Steve Dumont and team are developing a new office-retail building next to their existing facility on Old Dover Road. This new project is highly anticipated, with 25,000 square feet in a very high traffic and high visibility location adjacent to Route 125.
Ben Franklin Crafts: corner of Union/Wakefield Street – Ben Franklin Crafts and Variety outlets are part of the nation's largest family of independently owned retail stores, according to the company. With the Rochester store, there will be three Ben Franklins in New Hampshire. The others are in Somersworth and Raymond. They will have floral silk flowers, a custom frame shop, a fabric department, scrap booking, jewelry making, model rockets, the whole gamut of things for any type of crafts. The hopes are that this newest store will be open in mid-July.
Newport Computers: Spaulding Avenue – Newport Computer Services has announced its relocation from Newfields to Rochester. The new location provides four times more area for production and warehouse capacity. The computer hardware company is occupying 65,000 square feet and employs approximately 40 people. The remodeled facility will support production, operations, sales, finance and administration.
Foster’s Daily Democrat: Industrial Way at Ten Rod Road Industrial Park – Foster's Daily Democrat is one of a dwindling number of family-owned daily newspapers in the United States. Foster’s is the leading newspaper for the Seacoast Region; their publications cover Dover and the Seacoast and Lakes Regions. They have local, state, Maine, and New England news, sports, business news, obituaries, editorials, classifieds and more. Five generations of the Foster family have owned and managed the Democrat. While they undergo a major transformation of their downtown Dover facility, Foster’s has temporarily located some of its departments to the Ten Rod Road Industrial Park.
Measured Progress: Industrial Way at Ten Rod Road Industrial Park – Measured Progress is a Dover-based, not-for-profit organization dedicated to improving instruction and student learning in standards-based classrooms. For 23 years, Measured Progress has successfully partnered with more than half of the states across the nation in assessment programs affecting millions of students. The 78,000-square-foot Rochester facility will be used for outbound distribution and warehousing. Measured Progress chose this location because of its proximity to the company's Dover headquarters and because of the area's diverse and skilled local workforce.
Colby Footwear: Located at 15 Oak Street in Gonic. In anticipation of consolidating their offices, Colby Footwear is in the process of expanding their current distribution center. They will be adding another 38,275 square feet to their existing building.