Residences, restaurants, a movie theater and more. Waterstone to unveil The Ridge phase 2
ROCHESTER — City residents and officials will get their first look Monday at phase 2 of The Ridge project, which is expected to include 241 apartments and 83,000 square feet of retail, restaurant and entertainment space.
Waterstone Properties will present plans to develop 68 and 76 Farmington Road (Route 11) to the Planning Board Monday, July 10, at 6:30 p.m. in the council chambers of City Hall. A public hearing will be held on the Waterstone presentation, allowing residents to weigh in with their thoughts and concerns.
On Wednesday, Senior Planner Ryan O'Connor said Monday's meeting will be a chance for the board and the public to review and comment on the plans.
"The applicant will lay out their proposal, and then the public will be able to comment," said O'Connor. "Then the board will add their comments and recommendations, which will hopefully be incorporated into the plans moving forward."
"For example, no landscaping plan has been submitted," said Shanna Saunders, planning and development director previously. "We have yet to see a traffic report or a drainage plan."
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What will be built in phase 2 of The Ridge in Rochester?
Waterstone's Jeff Levy previously told city leaders that residences, restaurants, a 10-screen movie theater, and more are envisioned for phase 2 of The Ridge development, adjacent to the well-known shopping plaza in Rochester. The existing Ridge Marketplace on Route 11, which opened in 2016, features Market Basket, NH Liquor & Wine Outlet, Marshalls, Old Navy, Starbucks and numerous other stores and restaurants on a 27-acre parcel.
Developers previously told city officials the phase 2 project on a 26.27-acre parcel could include breweries and possibly a bank, skating rink, electric car charging stations, along with green space, trails and a dog park.
Waterstone has not yet publicly identified tenants or potential tenants. However, the plans submitted to the city call for 12 buildings, plus small parking garages and a clubhouse.
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The plans show three multi-family residential buildings, a clubhouse, and five garages with eight to 10 bays each.The largest building is identified as "entertainment space" with two units: one is 34,000 square feet and the other 13,490-plus square feet. Saunders said a movie theater and a gym are tentatively planned in this building.
Phase 2 plans of The Ridge also include two buildings designated as retail/office and one building designated as retail/restaurant, all in the 6,000- to 9,000-square-foot range. Five more buildings designated as restaurants include two that are 4,500 square feet, one at 3,000 square feet, one at 2,805 square feet and one at 2,340 square feet.
Levy has previously said the developers hope to start full-scale construction by spring 2024.
What The Ridge means to Rochester's tax revenue, economy
The Ridge's second phase development is expected to bring significantly more than $1 million annually to the city's tax rolls, Mayor Paul Callaghan previously said. He said the estimated assessed property value will be $75 million and more than 300 jobs are expected to be created.
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The property, where phase 2 of the project is planned, is assessed at $495,000 before development, generating only about $13,000 per year in tax revenue, according to city Economic Development Director Michael Scala.
The Ridge Marketplace is assessed at $33 million. Callaghan said the development has brought 500 to 1,000 jobs to the Rochester area.
This article originally appeared on Fosters Daily Democrat: The Ridge phase 2: Residences, restaurants, a movie theater and more
