Leasing has begun on 80 apartments in the former Department of Transportation buildings on Stickney Avenue, bringing an end to two decades of uncertainty about the future of a prime piece of real estate in downtown Concord.
Construction is continuing and tenants will not be able to move in before at least the end of the year, but the site’s only four-bedroom apartment has already been leased, said Meagan Murphree, a leasing associate for Brady-Sullivan Properties.
The development, called The Lofts at 93 North, is in five separate buildings on the six-acre site between Storrs Street and I-93. It includes 10 one-bedroom apartments starting at $2,100 a month, 20 two-bedroom units starting at $2,375 and 10 three-bedroom units starting at $3,050. The company is accepting holds on units, and tours will start soon depending on construction, Murphree said.
Brady-Sullivan, one of the state’s biggest developers, bought the site in 2021 for $1 million and the city approved its redevelopment into apartments in 2023.
The site’s history dates back to 1925, when the state highway department bought the land. Over the next three decades it built five buildings for storage and maintenance of state vehicles. The complex was used by the Department of Transportation until 2006, when a new DOT facility opened on Hazen Drive, and stood largely vacant after that, sometimes drawing concern about vandalism or homeless camps.
Its proximity to downtown meant city officials have long had hopes to develop it, but uncertainty about industrial pollution complicated the site’s reuse, including concerns about leaks from petroleum storage tanks, leftover lead paint and asbestos and other material, such as coal ash. Also complicating plans was the city’s desire to extend Storrs Street, as well as proposals to expand the I-93 highway and change nearby Exit 14, both of which could affect the property.
The 2021 sale to Brady-Sullivan surprised the city and proved to be controversial because state law gives municipalities the right of first refusal when state property is being sold.
Then-Gov. Chris Sununu approved the sale, saying the city was taking too long to make up its mind. He has declined to release records about the sale to Brady-Sullivan, which was a major donor to his campaigns, citing executive privilege.
Brady-Sullivan owns two other apartment complexes in Concord: Hollis Commons on Cherry Street and Cranmore Ridge on Portsmouth Street.
The Lofts at 93 North includes a community room, gymnasium and game room. Pets are allowed at $50 a month for a dog that must weigh less than 50 pounds and $25 a month for a cat or other animal. There’s a limit on two animals per apartment and “breed restrictions apply,” according to the leasing website.