Laconia State School Fire
 

https://www.wmur.com/article/wmur-la...42026/71580937

Came across this breaking news story on WMUR. Laconia FD is reporting it as suspicious. Feels a bit like Kimball Castle all over…purchased with development in mind, and then goes up in flames.

Exactly. Don’t believe the deal has closed, but it’s close. With all resources focused on day one of bike week someone secured the opportunity


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July.

https://www.laconiadailysun.com/news...89f2dd145.html

The difference is that Kimball's Castle were fighting to do things that they were finding they couldn't, from my understanding.
This one, the developers would have just torn down that building anyway.

Correct. But now it’s the states responsibility and cost to clean it up not the developers. Thousands saved


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Something exploded and it's back on fire as of about an hour ago, the FD basically sent a couple engines and returned everyone else and just letting it do its thing.

The promised update at 7/27 city council meeting never happened and no word on the closing that was supposed to happen last month. Thinking the developer has cold feet or shallow pockets

I'm wondering how many of these proposed condo projects get postponed or shut down completely if sales slow down?

If the ROI is not there, the investors are sure to pull the plug...

30 day extension and request for environmental impact due to the fire.
State is expecting to expend $300,000 to remediation.

Sorry, I don't have the WMUR link.

Exactly. Costs have skyrocketed since they jumped in and with no natural gas available and water hookup not available yet.
Last I heard there was infighting due to the storm water runoff situation.
The costs to construct the system required was unreasonable to the developer.
I am sure when the city management feels it’s appropriate they will inform the locals.

LDS update...

https://www.laconiadailysun.com/news...10a321b0e.html

What i find interesting is the developers have two more extensions. Also, the lack of a natural gas hook will derail any large retail or professional construction.

Why? Large scale projects get done all of the time without natural gas. Heck, in many MA communities, any type of fossil fuel usage is prohibited in new construction. (Cambridge, Lexington, Newton, and Brookline being examples). The technology has evolved such that electric heat pump systems are becoming more of the norm, vs the exception. Even if gas is a preferred alternative for certain systems (hot water heating or commercial cooking for example), propane can be installed, and have a fairly negligible impact on overall operating costs for the development.

The development entity is controlled by the family of one of the Demoulas supermarket heirs/owners. That family retains a significant ownership interest in Demoulas stock. The son of that family is a senior executive at Demoulas. Unlike the last time around, financial wherewithal is not a factor. If Demoulas decides that the LSS is an economically viable site for a new grocery store, the development starts off with a significant anchor tenant. That site has a lot of significant development hurdles, one of which I suspect (but do not know for sure) is how the State Office of Historic Preservation might require mitigation and/or preservation, similarly to the risks inherent in developing the Weirs Drive in. That said, these folks have the financial horsepower, and likely some political clout, to get this developed, if it makes financial sense.

Regardless of financial viability, guess is that you will see the developers execute any/every available option extension. It’s a lot cheaper to execute an extension, than to deploy $10M in capital, and start paying carrying costs such as security, RE taxes, and general maintenance of useful infrastructure.

Present administration shut down energy saving rebates for heat pumps as well as EVs etc. So, installing heat pumps will be expensive. Building energy efficient homes for heat pumps and electric radiant heat is also expensive. Developers that don't have the class flow will go the cheaper route. ie oil burners or god forbid coal burners which the present feds will gladly allow.

I disagree. First, the energy codes are now so demanding, that you MUST build highly energy efficient structures. This is particularly the case with commercial buildings, where a high level of scrutiny (and enforcement) are inherent in the process. Also, the commercial energy codes are largely predicated on energy models that reward green energy, not just the lowest operating cost.

Also, heat pumps are now more of the norm in commercial structures, and are becoming more of the norm in new residential construction. Rebates are widely available commercially, again with preference given to green energy designs. I happen to be in the commercial construction business, and I can say that natural gas probably fuels less than 25% of our heating systems these days. In some instances, we don’t even use it when the pipe is right at the curb line, due to green energy mandates. Think about it …. there are entire communities in the northeast that are not served by natural gas. Take the Lebanon-Hanover region as an example. There is no natural gas in that region, yet large scale development happens without pause in those regions. Heck, it happens at a far greater level than will ever happen in Laconia, NH.

The availability of natural gas for this development is a non-issue.