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NH Liquor Commission seeks broker for I-95 outlet redevelopment

Doug Alden

The New Hampshire Liquor Commission is seeking a broker for a redevelopment project that will expand liquor and wine outlets along Interstate 95, north of the Massachusetts state line and add welcome centers.

NHLC announced Monday that it is accepting requests for qualifications from brokers interested in the project, which is similar to the 2015 redevelopment of the liquor and wine retail centers along I-93 in Hooksett that included adding dining, retail and other amenities.

The Hampton properties slated for redevelopment are home to NHLC’s existing liquor and wine outlets on both sides of I-95. The outlets are already a significant contributor to the local economies and officials believe the redevelopment could bring even larger returns.

“Very few sites in the country offer the unique development opportunities available in Hampton,” NHLC Chairman Joseph Mollica said in a release Monday.

According to the release, NHLC is seeking qualified commercial real estate broker firms specializing in highway-oriented commercial real estate to provide brokerage, valuation and marketing services. NHLC is hosting a conference on March 10 at the Hampton liquor and wine outlet located on the northbound side of I-95.

E.J. Powers, a spokesman for the liquor commission, said Monday the conference will also give prospective brokers a chance to view the property, which the state plans to sell as part of the redevelopment project on 88 acres on both sides of the highway. Powers said the state hopes to form a public-private partnership for the project.

Powers said the plan is to build new outlets of about 22,000 square feet, which would offer more products and a wider selection to travelers who stop along I-95. The current outlets are 19,000 and 16,000 square feet.

Powers said the Hooksett project led to significant sales increases at the I-93 stores, generating a combined $34.6 million in fiscal year 2019.

“What we have seen is that an expanded selection and improved shopping experience has yielded more sales, ultimately more revenue to the state, and has been a tremendous draw,” Powers said.

According to the NHLC, the I-95 stores, which are less than half the size of the proposed redevelopment along I-95, generated $54.3 million.

“We are hopeful and confident that the new outlets will far surpass those sales, and then the additional revenue that the state will yield from the sale of the property will ultimately be a boon to the state of New Hampshire and its taxpayers,” Powers said.

John Nyhan, president of the Hampton Area Chamber of Commerce, said the existing liquor and wine outlets on I-95 are already popular stops with summer visitors, and that the redevelopment has tremendous potential for the Seacoast.

Nyhan said he was impressed with what the state did in Hooksett and hopes to see something similar in the Hampton redevelopment.

“They did a really, really nice job,” Nyhan said. “It will give us more jobs in our area and more business opportunities. The chamber has always been an advocate in support of additional working opportunities for our people here on the Seacoast.”

The property on the northbound side of I-95 is about 64 acres while the property on the southbound 95 is about 24 acres, and includes wetlands and conservation area. The sites are also adjacent to the Taylor River, which creates additional opportunities to promote environmental education and outdoor experiences, NLCC said.

“To have property off an interstate exchange and so much property in such a highly trafficked area is quite unique,” Powers said.

Brokers interested in submitting qualifications can visit the NLCC website