Rochester development in 2024: The Howard, casino, Ridge Phase II and more

ROCHESTER — Development is booming in the city, and that looks to continue in 2024.

A number of projects are ready to begin or are already underway, with a casino, housing and commercial development in the works at The Ridge, downtown and other locations.

Here's a look at some major developments Rochester residents can expect to see this year, some of which area are well in progress.

55 North Main Street – The Howard

Rochester economic development director Michael Scala said work at the former Hoffman building is proceeding and the project, at 55 North Main St. has a new name.

Steve King, project manager for Groen Construction, said developers Rick and Paul Grant chose the name The Howard to honor their grandfather.

"The Howard is scheduled for completion sometime in June ’24," said Scala. "It will provide 45 market-rate one- and two-bedroom units. Preleasing should start sometime after the first of the year."

Scala said the building, when completed, will be the tallest in the city at six stories. The building will have 57,575 square feet, including a garage.

"The developers are working now to identify a leasing agent," King said. "They will probably begin creating floor plans for the units and showing them to potential tenants."

King said tenants for the commercial space(s) on the ground floor level have not been identified yet. He said they had a business that was interested but the time frame did not meet their needs.

"They didn't want to wait 15 months," King said. "Right now, we are anticipating opening sometime in May 2024."

Casino in works at Lilac Mall in Rochester

The nearly 200,000-square-foot Lilac Mall was purchased in 2023 by Greg Carlin of G2 Gaming through his companies for $5 million. This is where the casino businessman plans to open a new casino in Rochester.

"G2 Gaming plans on re-purposing 20,000 plus square feet of the Lilac Mall to a charitable gaming facility that will include approximately 200 historic horseracing machines and dozens of gaming tables," Scala said. "Construction is expected to begin early summer 2024."

The casino has Planning Board approval and is in the process of selecting a construction team. The ownership is targeting construction to start in early spring and be completed by the end of 2024, but those are only estimates for now.

"Our vision is to develop a 32,000-square-foot premium gaming and hospitality venue at the Lilac Mall in Rochester," Carlin said. "Once complete, the facility would offer a full array of table games, including poker, blackjack, craps and roulette, along with historical horse racing machines, pool tables and other games. It will also include a full-service restaurant and bar that will serve delicious food, refreshing cocktails and a wide selection of New Hampshire craft beers."

In November, Rochester voters gave the green light to adding sportsbook gambling in the city. Carlin would need to apply to the New Hampshire Lottery Commission to be one of the 10 allowed locations in the state.

Scala said Carlin has not yet submitted an application to be a sportsbook location.

The Ridge Phase II

"Final design of Phase II at The Ridge is nearing completion," said Scala. "Phase II will be a lifestyle-entertainment center with a variety of food, beverage, retail, and entertainment options. There are also plans for the construction of 200 new residential units."

Phase 2 of The Ridge project is expected to include 241 apartments and 83,000 square feet of retail, restaurant and entertainment space.

Developer 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.

Scala said the city expects to release the bid for the extension of Marketplace Boulevard early in the year.

New Rochester District Courthouse

As part of the state of New Hampshire's two-year budget, $17.5 million was appropriated for the construction of a new Rochester District Courthouse on city-owned land along Route 108 in the Granite State Business Park. The state has agreed to transfer the old downtown courthouse to the city in exchange for the new court site.

Sarah Lineberry, superintendent of the Bureau of New Hampshire Court Facilities, said they have begun the design and planning for the new court. She said a $1.16 million expenditure previously approved for design and engineering of the courthouse "will now commence."

The state expects to break ground in 2024 with an estimated 24-month build time, Scala said.

38 Hanson St.

"The city recently completed the sale of 38 Hanson Street to the Green / O’Neill Group," said Scala. "The developer plans on construction of 12-20 residential and 1-2 commercial units on the site. They expect to start the process early next year."

Scala said the final transfer of the lot to 38 Hanson Street, LLC from the city occurred on Dec. 1.

"We expect to see an updated design early next year for HDC and PB approval," said Scala.

This article originally appeared on Fosters Daily Democrat: Coming to Rochester NH in 2024: The Howard, casino, Ridge Phase II