The New Hampshire Liquor Commission’s goal – expand the size of its outlets and open some closer to more heavily-traveled roads – has changed the landscape of two Suncook Valley towns.
In Epsom, at the busy traffic circle named after fallen police officers Jeremy Charron and Michael Briggs, a state-run liquor store opened last month, mirroring the 12,000-square-foot structures that have opened as new outlets recently.
Other older stores have already been renovated or will be, but that was not the case in Pittsfield, where the store, closed last month, once stood in an area easily accessible by walking and thus was a big convenience for nearby neighborhoods.
That’s no longer the case. Epsom is 8 miles from Pittsfield, and liquor commission officials believed that the traffic circle, forever busy with travelers and local shoppers, made for a built-in vehicle for advertising.
“We know this new Epsom outlet will make a positive impact on our ongoing mission to maximize revenue for the New Hampshire General Fund,” NHLC Chairman Joseph Mollica said in a statement.
From the Pittsfield side, however, the closure of a business and the ensuing eyesore of an empty building is a vision the town has been trying to erase for years, hoping to mix a family-friendly downtown with other small-town features, like kid-friendly parks and the balloon rally.
“I think it will have an effect, so disappointed is probably a good word,” said J.C. Allard, chairman of the Pittsfield Select Board and a member of the State House of Representatives.
“The closing of any retail space on the main street is a blow to the community. At least temporarily it’s a vacant store front, there’s the loss of tax revenue and the loss of business activity.”
The switch to an Epsom location means 30 of 69 state outlets have either been built or updated since 2012. New outlets in Littleton and New London will open this spring.
Also, construction on a 13,000-square-foot liquor store in Manchester is scheduled to begin soon and expected to open by the end of 2021.
Meanwhile, Pittsfield will seek to replace the liquor store, always hoping to add a little zest to a town with beautiful scenery and a sleepy downtown.
Allard said a nearby business owner now owns the land that the liquor store used to call home. Allard was optimistic, saying, “When one door closes, another one opens now for the opportunity for something else.”
Allard was at a loss for words when asked what the town might need in that spot.
“That store space could be anything, anything we could fit in there,” Allard said. “We are kind of wide open for what could come to Pittsfield. As you know, our downtown area has had its challenges in recent years.”