Dec. 15 -- The New Hampshire Liquor Commission, which has built, renovated or relocated over 40 Liquor and Wine Outlets in 36 communities, recently reported "significant progress" towards selling and redeveloping 88 acres on Interstate I-95 in Hampton as large north- and southbound travel stops.
The commission, in a news release Friday, said it hopes to secure the state's approval next year for a contract and related agreements. Potential developers for the twin highway rest stops are Common Man Roadside, based in New Hampshire and known for its I-93 travel plazas in Hooksett, and Applegreen New England, Global Partners and Nouria Energy, which are headquartered in Massachusetts.
The travel rest stops will include 22,000-square-foot liquor stores owned and operated by NHLC, plus EV recharging and gas fueling stations, restaurants and other privately-owned amenities.
According to the state liquor commission, a recently-completed phase-one environmental site assessment was favorable. In mid-November, it secured approval from the New Hampshire Long Range Capital Planning and Utilization Committee to sell the northbound and southbound parcel that border I-95
Last week, the town of Hampton confirmed that it is not interested in buying the surplus land surrounding the liquor stores. Final negotiations with a buyer can now proceed.
"Given the complexity of this project, our team has ensured each step in this selection process has been meticulously followed and they have performed extensive due diligence so the property is properly zoned, surveyed, and prepared for redevelopment," NHLC Chairman Joseph Mollica said Friday. "We are committed to putting the selected developer partner in the best position possible to accelerate the pace for the successful redevelopment of this unique property."
Sale proceeds would benefit the NHLC, enabling it to pay down all bond debt, and the Town of Hampton, which would realize significant ongoing property tax revenue from the privately-owned sections of the redeveloped areas.
The NHLC projects that the two new liquor outlets, twice the size of the current stores and with double the selection, will exceed the $54.3 million generated annually from those two locations.
The developer will own the property outside the outlets and will be responsible for all maintenance and improvements and the Welcome Center. Interstate 95 is the main connector between the New Hampshire seacoast, mountain and lakes regions, the state of Maine, and Greater Boston, carrying an average of 86,000 vehicles daily in both directions, and more than 125,000 vehicles per day during summer.
NHLC is the largest liquor and wine outlet retailer in New England. New Hampshire is one of the nation's most profitable alcohol beverage control states through sales at the state liquor stores, according to NHLC.
Since the first NH Liquor & Wine Outlet opened in 1934, more than $4 billion in net profits have been raised to fund programs in education, health and social services, transportation, natural resource protection, and addiction treatment and prevention, NHLC reports.
It recently opened an outlet on the Keene/Swanzey border.
For more information about the request for proposal (RFP) for potential developers and the Hampton project timeline, go to www.nh.gov/liquor/public_notices.shtml and i95hamptonnh.com.