$65M NH Waterfront Plan Gets Go-Ahead

DOVER, NH-After a two-year negotiation, this aging mill city has approved a $65-million mixed-use venture that developer Mark Dickinson pledges will extend the downtown and generate direct revenues to town coffers of nearly $30 million over the next two decades. More importantly, says the founder of Quincy, MA-based Dickinson Development Corp., the blend of 180 housing units, office space and retail aims to open access to the Cocheco River, which he notes played a critical role in Dover’s creation as a once-thriving economic center here abutting southern Maine.

“We are making a strong statement about the synergy of the downtown and the waterfront,” says Dickinson, whose 21-acre Dover Landing calls for an esplanade, open areas and walking trails. “Ultimately, our vision is to transform this underutilized land into a vibrant new neighborhood that will greatly enhance the quality of life for Dover residents and visitors for generations to come.”

Besides a cash payment of $1 million to the city, Dickinson is providing $3.6 million in site improvements to clean up a former DPW maintenance lot and build the riverfront park. The park will be complete with piers and moorings for excursion boats to help enthusiasts access the peripatetic waterway.