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Concord City Council To Vote On Downtown Revamp

Shoppers on Main street, Concord NH
From MainStreetConcord.com
Shoppers on Main street, Concord NH

The Concord City Council is meeting tonight to vote on whether to spend more than $10 million revitalizing its Main Street corridor.

For nearly two decades, Concord has debated the pros and cons of redesigning and rebuilding nine blocks of Main Street.

Pedestrian friendly and aesthetically pleasing plans to revamp downtown are up for a vote in the City Council. At-Large Councilman Mark Coen supports the project. And says Concord is the latest in a long list of communities to explore such changes.

“Littleton’s done it, Keene, Nashua’s just gone through it—so Concord’s not unique about revitalizing the main street.”

Opponents argue it reduces parking and will do little to attract tourism. Some components of the original plan, such as heated sidewalks, have been cut. But the council will vote on whether to add back some individual items like tree lighting.

A $4.7 million federal grant would help pay for the project. If the plan passes, construction may begin as early as August.

Before becoming a reporter for NHPR, Ryan devoted many months interning with The Exchange team, helping to produce their daily talk show. He graduated from the University of New Hampshire in Manchester with a major in Politics and Society and a minor in Communication Arts. While in school, he also interned for a DC-based think tank. His interests include science fiction and international relations. Ryan is a life-long Manchester resident.
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