Construction has officially begun on the Woodmont Commons project as crews have started to build the first two buildings.
While construction technically began over a year ago with infrastructure improvements on Michael’s Way and utility extensions, the foundation for the two buildings was poured just last week, according to Town Planner Colleen Mailloux. These buildings, according to the site plan, are referred to as Building 5.01 and Building 3.01.
Building 5.01 will be home to 603 Brewery, a known tenant which will include the business’s production facility as well as a brew pub and restaurant.
Building 3.01 will act as a mixed-use building which will have a commercial restaurant tenant on the first floor, as well as residential units on the upper three floors. In total, this building will have 87 residential units. The commercial space will be as large as 23-25,000 square feet.
The unit development project will span over a total of 603 acres of what was once apple orchards. The master plan for the project was approved by Londonderry’s Town Council, as well as the Planning Board back in 2013.
Mike Kettenbach, principal of Pillsbury Realty Development LLC, is the developer on this project. According to a press packet prepared by the company, Woodmont Commons will include 882,500 square feet of new retail space, 700,000 square feet of office space, 272,000 square feet of existing commercial space, 550 hotel rooms, 300 hospital beds, 250,000 square feet of extended living/assisted care space, 1,439 residential units, and “unlimited civic uses.”
“This project has really been designed as a mixed-use, live, work, play type of environment,” Mailloux said of Woodmont Commons.
“First, it’s going to bring retail and commercial growth, which I think will be really great for the town,” she said. “It’ll be a different type of commercial retail than we see now.”
This first building phase of project will also introduce a new type of housing that does not yet exist and is not necessarily offered in Londonderry. “Townhomes and other residential development will take place, which will really create a great place for people to live, but also to come down to enjoy the restaurants,” Mailloux explained.
Plans for recreational facilities are in place as well, which Mailloux says will truly create a destination within the town of Londonderry.
“Now that construction has started and we can really see the first few buildings starting on the main street, I think it’s going to be really exciting to watch everything be built out,” she said.
Construction crews will be working on these two buildings throughout the winter. It was Mailloux’s understanding that they would be occupied around Spring of 2019. “Everything should be air-tight and closed out before the start of winter in order for crews to start their internal work and prepare for occupancy in the spring,” she said.
The 603 Brewery is being built in phases, so its production facility should be ready by the Winter of 2019, with the brew pub portion coming online closer to the spring.
For more information on the Woodmont Commons project or to view site/master plans, visit www.londonderrynh.org/Pages/LondonderryNH_BComm/Planning/common