This story was originally produced by the Concord Monitor. NHPR is republishing it in partnership with the Granite State News Collaborative.
Almost six months after work virtually stopped on a new psychiatric forensic hospital on Clinton Street, the construction site remains quiet due to issues with the foundation, and it is unclear when work will continue.
Recent queries to the state Department of Administrative Services were deflected to the Attorney General’s office. Michael Garrity, director of communications for the Department of Justice, said the office had nothing to add to the following statement that the department issued when the matter became public in May:
“A foundation design error discovered during construction of the new Forensic Hospital has temporarily paused some work. At this time, the Division of Public Works, contractor, and design consultants are actively working on a solution while progress continues in other areas of the project. Given the magnitude of the project, the Attorney General’s Office is supporting the division with its efforts to resolve any outstanding issues.”
No lawsuits or other court action have been filed.
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The 24-bed, 41,000-square-foot facility next to New Hampshire Hospital was going to be the state’s first forensic psychiatric hospital. It was originally slated to be finished by late 2026 or early 2027. The total budget for the project was $41.9 million.
The general contractor is PC Construction of Vermont, builder of several large projects around New Hampshire, including the new legislature parking garage in Concord, which is proceeding as planned.
A spokesperson for PC Construction responded to a Monitor query that “Any questions about the project should be directed to the owner.” The company’s website said the project was due to be completed in 2025.
“A deep foundation system using 231 micropiles was incorporated over six months to prepare the site for construction,” the project overview states. “Challenging site logistics focused on avoiding disruptions to the existing New Hampshire Hospital and extensive measures were incorporated to minimize noise, vibration and dust.”
Back in May, an email update to the New Hampshire Hospital Executive Leadership team said work was set to begin that would “include drilling approximately 70 additional pilings” to support the building foundation, and “other foundation repair is expected to start in late June/early July.”
The state Department of Environmental Services has expressed some concern about oil contamination at the site, but there is no evidence that related to the work stoppage.
“This contaminated soil is a result of discharges from historical underground and above-ground petroleum storage tanks,” according to a July 1, 2025, letter from Margaret Bastien, an engineer at the Oil Remediation & Compliance Bureau.
The soil can be reused on the site after appropriate remediation, the letter said.
When finished, the hospital will cater to certain defendants in the criminal justice system who suffer from severe mental illness, who are deemed unfit to stand trial due to mental health challenges, or those who are civilly committed to treatment. All require stricter safety protocols than are easily available in the main hospital.
It is being built next to New Hampshire Hospital, an inpatient psychiatric facility on Clinton Street in Concord.
