Exeter Country Club delays new clubhouse, restaurant amid rising costs
EXETER — Exeter Country Club's plan to construct a new clubhouse and restaurant is on hold – at least for now.
Blind Tiger, LLC, which manages the club at 58 Jady Hill, recently requested a one-year extension from the town's Planning Board to construct a new two-story clubhouse with a restaurant on the second floor.
The request was unanimously approved by the board on July 11.
Blind Tiger, LLC cited "unforeseen financial circumstances" for the project's delay.
“Upon recent discussions with the project contractor, construction costs are estimated to be significantly higher than originally anticipated,” Emanuel Engineering wrote on behalf of the applicant to the Planning Board. “Blind Tiger, LLC is actively exploring cost-saving measures to ensure the project’s financial viability.”
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The project, approved in July 2023, called for demolishing the existing 3,000-square-foot clubhouse and replacing it with a two-story 6,392-square-foot building. The first floor would house the club and pro shop.
The restaurant would be on the second floor and replace the current grab-and-go snack bar at the club. Plans showed an 80-seat dining space with a 47-seat bar and a function room that would be open to the public.
Bruce Scamman of Emmanuel Engineering told the Planning Board on July 11 that the one-year extension will also allow them to comply with the 13 conditions set by the board as part of the project's approval. Those conditions, which included a pre-construction meeting and submitting a finalized plan consistent with changes advised by the board, have not all been met yet, he added.
Justin Jumper, one of the owners of Blind Tiger, LLC, said this week the cost of construction has nearly doubled since they initially planned the project.
“We started thinking about this project right around the pandemic,” he said. “What we designed at the time was affordable, but it’s no longer affordable due to interest rates and inflation.”
Jumper said some of the cost-saving measures his team is looking into include scaling the building down into a one-story. Regardless, he said the new structure will still house the club shop, pro shop and an “enhanced American pub fare” restaurant.
The Planning Board unanimously gave the project the green light last year despite heavy opposition from residents in the Jady Hill neighborhood, who voiced concerns about drainage, traffic volume, safety and whether a change of use approval for the property was needed.
Jumper said last year that he and his team had gone “above and beyond” to address those concerns, and they vowed “to be an outstanding neighbor.”
Jumper said this week he is hoping construction will begin this fall or early next year, noting Blind Tiger, LLC is “still really excited to bring this new option to town.”
“We think members of the country club deserve a new clubhouse and pro shop, and we think the town needs another option as far as food and beverage goes,” he added. “We think it’ll be one of the nicest restaurants in town when you think about the view overlooking the golf course.”
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This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Exeter Country Club delays new clubhouse, restaurant amid rising costs
