Outdated. Tired. Satisfactory.

These were adjectives that travelers used last week to describe the Hooksett rest areas on Interstate 93, which Gov. John Lynch has called "not very welcoming."

Earlier this month, the state took a major step toward fixing them up. The Department of Transportation put out a request for proposals for developers looking to lease the rest areas on both the north and south sides of I-93.

"What we'd like to happen is to really scrub this site," said Harvey Goodwin, project manager for the Bureau of Turnpikes. "Remove the existing liquor store and the rest area and build a new service plaza and a new liquor store."

The state has estimated that leasing out the two Hooksett rest areas, as well as two rest areas in Hampton, will bring in about $25 million in up-front payments, said Pamela Walsh, deputy chief of staff to Lynch. But that estimate was based on specifications that are different from the ones actually included in the request for proposals.

Walsh said the actual amount of money made from the rest areas will not be known until after the bids come in and the details of the lease are worked out. Lease payments could be made through up-front payments, a percentage of revenue or a combination of the two.

Walsh said the goal of the renovations is to make the rest areas more user friendly. "They're old, they don't have a lot of amenities that welcome centers have in other states," Walsh said. "You can't get a cup of coffee when you're driving."

Now, both Hooksett rest areas look similar. In each, there is an approximately 8,500-square-foot state liquor store, a building with restrooms and brochures, and a small third building with vending machines containing snacks and sodas.

"It's minimal," was how Joy Neubert, a Florida resident on her way to Vermont, described it. "Quick in and out."

The state's request for proposals outlines a different vision. The liquor stores would more than double in size, to about 20,000 square feet each. Another 16,000- to 20,000-square-foot building would make up the service area. Though it would be up to the developer to determine what would go into the space, it would likely include bathrooms, tourist information and some sort of food service or convenience store. The liquor store and service area could be combined into a single building. And depending on design and space requirements, the rest area could potentially include a gas station - making it the only state rest area to have one.

"The real goal is to have a service plaza that offers the type of traveler services that people want," Goodwin said.

Goodwin said an expanded liquor store could lead to more people buying liquor from the state. Food service would be subject to the state's meals tax.

The Hooksett rest areas are among the most prominent in the state, with daily traffic averaging about 70,000 cars between both sides of the highway, according to the Department of Transportation.

Goodwin said no state money would go into the construction, since the developer would be responsible for the building costs. In exchange, the developer would get a 30-year lease on the site. The developer would sublet the liquor store back to the New Hampshire Liquor Commission.

Proposals from developers are due Feb. 8. Goodwin said the governor and Executive Council could approve a plan by May, with construction beginning by June. The new rest area could open by March 2011.

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