Mike Frascinella, the chairman of the Allenstown Economic Development Committee and a member of the town’s planning board, speaks in measured tones, even when commenting about additions he believes will add personality, money and a richer sense of community to his town.

But don’t let his soft-spoken demeanor fool you. The words he speaks and the time he gives to promote a new era in Suncook is telling.

He wants residents to know that expansion in Allenstown – an apartment complex that’s already renting and a facility for both assisted and independent living that could open within a month – is historic, and that includes the renovation of the local China Mill that is more than 150 years old.

The apartment complex, called 25 Canal Residential Lofts, offers one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments with rents ranging from $2,000 to $3,000.

The modernized complex, centrally located between Manchester and Concord, allows pets and features modern kitchens, stainless steel appliances and exposed brick and beams.

With an influx of hundreds of new residents expected to live there – Frascinella estimated this living space could mean as many as 300 new residents in town, as could the 55-and-older facility  – he sees an opportunity to attract consumers and businesses as well.

“The economic impact will be the largest in state history,” Frascinella said.

He played a central role last week at the grand opening of 25 Canal Residential Lofts, taking notes and snapping photos of key players in the town’s fabric.

People like Armand Verville, director of the town’s Historical Society, who explained that the China Mill was built in 1868, stretched 510 feet long, and once manufactured cloth,  destined for China.

Said Frascinella, “When in full production, (the mill) was making enough cloth in one week to stretch from the southern part of the state to the northern.”

Frascinella mentioned that the site plan provided by the Brady Sullivan Company was given conditional approval by the Allenstown Planning Board in September of 2020, 1½ years after discussions began.

Also in play was the town’s approval to convert the commercial industrial space to a residential area. “That clinched the deal,” Frascinella said.

The town’s approval of the 79-E tax exemption – awarded by the state to builders who renovate historic buildings – meant a deferred tax payment and fertile ground for businesses to grow.

Add the extra money Allenstown figures to receive from sewer funding and car registrations, and Frascinella’s easy manner belies a really excited man.

“There will be increased demand on local businesses,” Frascinella wrote in an article he wrote and posted at allenstown-alt.org. “The project has the ability to attract a vast range of renters. This growth will bring in additional revenue to the town and additional demand for local goods and services.

“It is anticipated that the town government and local businesses will support this growth.”

The upcoming residence for people 55 years and older is called Hillsbrook Village.

It’s a four-story building with 119 apartments, divided between assisted and independent living. It could open next month, said Frascinella, whose words meant more than his volume.

“The creation of these two buildings show what a town can do if it sets its mind to it,” he said. “Allenstown for decades was a lackluster town. All anyone would know was, ‘Isn’t that where Bear Brook State Park is?’ There’s more.”

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