Manchester's skyline could be getting a new neighbor, and contractors who work on big downtown jobs should keep an eye on it.
A plan to redevelop the Hartnett parking lot, officially 99 Lowell St., went back before the Manchester Planning Board on Oct. 1, Manchester Ink Link reported. Dozens of residents attended, and the board kept the public hearing open until its Nov. 5 meeting.
The building
Peter Flotz of the Lansing Melbourne Group, with engineer Brian Pratt and attorney Roy Tilsley, presented a mixed-use complex covered in brick and zinc. It would rise 16 stories at the corner of Concord and Chestnut streets and step down to eight stories near Concord and Pine streets.
Plans call for up to 7,325 square feet of commercial space on the lower floors and 196 residential units. Along Lowell Street, a three-story parking garage would hold more than 300 spaces, split between residents and visitors to the commercial space, and 18 new on-street spaces would be added on Lowell Street. The building would also include a rooftop garden and electric vehicle charging for cars and bicycles.
At its highest point, the building would climb just over 190 feet, making it the fourth-tallest building in New Hampshire, according to Ink Link. The three taller buildings, City Hall Plaza, Brady Sullivan Plaza and Wall Street Tower Apartments, are all less than a mile away.
The presenters said the project wouldn't need any variances from the city's zoning ordinance if the Planning Board grants site plan approval and any required permits or waivers. They said the taller sections along Concord Street were placed to avoid overshadowing nearby historic buildings, including Grace Episcopal Church and St. Joseph Cathedral. A shadow study showed no shadows reaching either church until near sunset in winter and spring, Ink Link reported.
Parking and timing
Several residents who spoke against the plan were worried about losing parking near Victory Park, especially for people with limited mobility in winter. Kalle Maggio, a landscape architect and St. Joseph Cathedral parishioner, said most parishioners are elderly and that "Manchester's sidewalks take no prisoners." Manchester Historic Association President Jeffrey Myrdek also questioned the brick facade, saying most historic buildings near Victory Park have granite exteriors.
"This Is a beautiful building, but I'm sure it would be beautiful somewhere else," said Meghan Moore, who often attends events at St. Joseph Cathedral. "We need our parking."
Others backed the project. Edward Doyle, a Grace Episcopal Church parishioner who works at French Hall, said the lot could be put to better use as housing. "I think sometimes we forget that Manchester has always changed and will always change," said Jodie Nazaka, director of the city's Economic Development Office.
The developers noted that the city's original request to develop the Hartnett lot was paired with the nearby Pearl Street lot, where a new garage will have roughly 400 spaces. That joint request required 118 public parking spaces. Pratt said there are roughly 900 spaces at the Victory Garage. Tilsley said the board couldn't legally deny the site plan over public parking because the Board of Mayor and Aldermen had declared the lot surplus. He said the developers could propose closing Lowell Street between Chestnut and Pine streets on weekends to make it easier to walk to the churches.
Timing matters too. Alderman Bryce Kaw-uh, the board's aldermanic liaison, raised the lot's role during winter on-street parking bans. The developers said construction wouldn't begin until late 2027. The Pearl Street garage is expected to open in September 2027.
The board kept the hearing open to get more information on how the proposal fits the neighborhood and more data from the Department of Public Works.
Why it matters for Contractors
A 16-story, 196-unit building with a three-story garage would be one of the largest private construction jobs in New Hampshire, and the fourth-tallest building in the state. That means a long run of work for concrete, steel, masonry, curtain wall and metal panel, elevator, mechanical, electrical, plumbing and fire protection trades, plus parking garage specialists. It isn't approved yet, and the developers say construction wouldn't start until late 2027, so this is a project to track rather than bid. The Nov. 5 Planning Board meeting is the next step. No general contractor has been named, so contractors interested in the work should follow the Planning Board's actions and watch for Lansing Melbourne Group's next moves. The Pearl Street garage, expected to open in September 2027, is another downtown job worth following.