Are Happy Days Here Again for Claremont?

By John Walters on Friday, July 8, 2005.

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The last half of the 20th Century was not kind to the city of Claremont. Its industrial base went into severe decline; population and property values were stagnant; and it suffered a significant drug-trafficking problem. But now, local officials say their city is making a comeback, and is poised for great things. NHPR's John Walters paid a visit, to find out whether good times are indeed coming to Claremont.

AL1? (JW) We?ve walked around the corner, not far from the river. It looks like the kind of place I wouldn?t want to be at night. Buildings are abandoned, there?s graffiti. Will this look different in a year? (AL) It will be different. It may look bad, but to us, it looks like opportunity. It?s an amazing place full of history. It?s been empty for 40 years, but we have the chance and ability to turn it all around. :29

Anthony Lyons is the development director for the City of Claremont. He?s leading me on a walking tour of downtown and the mill district, home to several abandoned mill buildings along the Sugar River.
Starting this fall, three of those buildings are scheduled to undergo a transformation. John Illick is one of the partners in the Sugar River Mills Redevelopment Corporation. He says one of the buildings is to be converted to condominiums, in a style that Anthony Lyons refers to as ?mill chic.?
JI 1? Loft style condos, exposed brick, 14-foot ceilings, the woodwork you get in a mill building. On the river, views of Ascutney. It will create a demand that may not have existed prior. A unique, wonderful residential experience that doesn?t occur anywhere else in the Upper Valley. :24

Illick plans to complete the project by the end of next year. In total, the project includes the condos, mixed commercial space, and a Common Man Restaurant -- operated by Alex Ray, who is a member of the NHPR board of directors.
In addition to this development, the city has committed to redo-ing the streetscape, adding parking, building a pedestrian bridge over the Sugar River, and a riverwalk on the other side. It?s part of a series of projects that promises a rebirth of downtown Claremont.

This would be a big change for a city that?s been struggling for decades, since the decline of its former economic base ? the tool and die industry. More recently, there?s been the rise of drug trafficking. Sullivan County Attorney Mark Hathaway.
Hathaway 1?The primary concerns are heroin, and more recently crack cocaine. It is an ongoing concern, one which law enforcement is constantly and aggressively addressing. :14

The drug issue notwithstanding, crime is less of a problem in Claremont than one might think. Its overall rates of violent and property crime is roughly equivalent to Lebanon?s? and substantially lower than Portsmouth or Manchester, two of New Hampshire?s urban success stories.

But after several decades of decline, why is Claremont suddenly rising?
Developer John Illick says part of the reason is a change in attitude.
The city has laid out the welcome mat for development ? both residential and commercial -- while some communities in the Upper Valley are putting the brakes on growth. What's more, Claremont development director Anthony Lyons says the city government has been re-shaped and is now more organized.

AL2? 5 years ago, my first year, we had 5 city managers, no department heads (city attorney, etc.). Not the kind of climate conducive to economic development. Now we have all those departments filled with good people and a great city manager. Things have turned around quite well. :26

A positive, efficient approach can make a big difference. But the community itself has to be an attractive place to work and live.

CC1? Well, one of the things we have in Claremont is that you have a little bit of city life ? nothing like Manhattan or anything like that ? but a little bit of city life, but also small-town features (:16)?( fade under my narration)

Christine Corey owns American Star Real Estate. She took me on a tour of Claremont that began downtown, through some residential areas, back through town, and out to the commercial strip. All in about 20 minutes. The compact size could be an attractive package, if promoters can bring it all together with a healthy downtown.
Corey is a relative newcomer to Claremont. She arrived about 4 years ago to get into real estate, as a broker and investor. She says it?s paid off very well.

CC3? What I purchased 4 years ago for, say, 123-thousand, I?d put on the market at 250, 260 ? for the same property. (JW: It?s doubled, pretty much) Absolutely, and they keep going up and up and up.

The official numbers are in line with her experience. After years of stagnation, the median housing price in Claremont has doubled in four years, and new housing starts are up even more. There?s still a long way to go; Claremont?s **median housing price is still much lower than the state?s. But the trend is clearly upward.
The same is true in commercial property. In the past 3 years, the number of building permits has doubled, and a half-million square feet of existing space has been renovated and occupied? with more on the way.
Bruce Waters is head of the commercial division at McLaughry Real Estate. He?s a key player in Upper Valley commercial property. He says until a few years ago, he never paid any attention to Claremont. Now it?s a major focus of his work, and he sees more than enough demand to keep it going.

BW2? There has been a great absorption rate for a lot of vacancies. Will it continue? I can?t see why not. All the fundamentals are there to make it a dynamic market. It?s not gonna happen overnight, but it clearly has happened over the last 5 years. 18

Waters says the only thing that could get in the way, would be a much broader downturn in the real estate market. That would reverse the momentum, not only in Claremont, but in the entire region.

Claremont?s development director Anthony Lyons has seen big changes in his 5 years in town? and he sees it all coming to fruition in about 1-2 years.

AL5? In that time, the mills will be done, a lot of downtown projects done. 5 years from today, it will all be kicked into high gear.
But a year from today, much different. 2 years, significant difference. 5 years ? we?ll really have a winner here.

For NHPR News, I?m John Walters.