Effort Underway to Prevent Loss of Landmark Gasholder in Concord
The owner of the landmark Concord Gasholder building, Liberty Utilities, is planning on securing a demolition permit for the 1888 structure by the end of the year, and the Preservation Alliance is working with the Liberty and the City of Concord to find a redevelopment solution that saves this rare survivor and benefits the City, region and nation.
The Gasholder is a striking visual for travelers along Interstate 93 in our state capital. Its brick walls, round form, and cupola are as distinctive a part of the skyline as the gold dome of our Capitol Building. New Save Our Gasholder website here. Update from December 14 meeting here.
Experts Emphasize Gasholder’s Significance
In a recent presentation, state historic preservation officer Ben Wilson, preservation consultant Liz Durfee Hengen, retired state architectural historian Jim Garvin and National Park Service historian Roger Reed described the Gasholder as an icon of Concord’s history of industry and innovation, its last-of-its-kind national status, and how people and organizations across the U.S. who understand this kind of place want to see it saved. [Recording of the program is here; it runs just over an hour.]
Garvin discussed how gas revolutionized the way people lived and industry grew. Hengen showcased the multitude of diverse industries that propelled Concord's growth in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and their dependency on manufactured gas, though virtually none of these factories survive. She noted that, in the 60th anniversary year of the loss of Concord’s railroad station, she and many others hope we will not see the same fate for the Gasholder.
The Preservation Alliance re-listed the property on its 2020 Seven to Save list because of its national significance and imminent threat. This was the first time the organization has repeated a listing since the program began in 2006. Participants at the session on October 27 numbered over 100 and included those in the Gasholder neighborhood, Concord citizens, leaders in construction, community development and civic life, and others from around the state. A recording of that program on the history and significance of the landmark is here and a FAQ is here.
Liberty Utilities Planning to Secure Demolition Permit by December 31
Liberty Utilities may secure a demolition permit by the end of December 2020 but have also stated a preference for a redevelopment solution that saves the landmark and serves as a catalyst for positive community and economic activity. City Councilor Byron Champlin is chairing an ad-hoc city committee that was created to explore preservation and redevelopment options with support from the Preservation Alliance and a redevelopment consultant. The committee includes five city councilors, Liberty Utilities and representatives from the local business, preservation and redevelopment sectors.
Recommendations for Preservation and Redevelopment to be Shared with City Committee and Liberty December 14
Stuart Arnett of ADG, LLC, a planning and development group based in Concord along with the N.H. Preservation Alliance has been assisting the committee in gathering data and exploring the feasibility of varied options.
At a November 5 public session and November 20 committee meeting, Stuart Arnett of ADG, LLC, a planning and development group based in Concord, presented hopeful scenarios for the Gasholder property’s preservation and redevelopment with assumptions about willing owners and designs that would maintain the landmark’s significant features. He and his team emphasized adding value to the site with auxiliary uses and painted a picture of the Gasholder property’s revitalization as a catalyst for the surrounding southern gateway into Concord. Nearly 100 people attended, encouraged its preservation and offered recommendations about vibrant re-uses and tactics for celebrating the history, architecture and innovation associated with this landmark.
A recording of our November 5 redevelopment options program is here. Summary is here.
Work in progress from project consultant ADG, LLC: November 20 presentation to City Council Ad-hoc Gasholder committee presentation with accompanying market assessment.
ADG’s final draft to be presented to the committee at December 14 at 9 a.m. Zoom session.
To receive news and other updates, send an email to project@nhpreservation.org with “gasholder” the subject line.
Don’t forget to support our work with a donation and follow us on social media!