The Newmarket Community Development Corporation (NCDC) is a private, non-profit entity and was originally incorporated in 1983 “for the promotion of growth and prosperity in the town of Newmarket, New Hampshire.” The NCDC of that era was involved with many civic projects, perhaps the most visible being the acquisition and marketing of the “Fish & Game Building,” transforming it into commercial use. This building still supports commercial activity—it is the now known as the Durham Book Exchange Building, hard by the dam and river on the northern end of Main Street. The NCDC was then dormant for the latter part of the 1980s and was resurrected in 1993.

The “modern era” NCDC was reactivated to promote economic development in general and, in particular, to address the growing possibility that the owner of the “Essex Mills,” the Essex Group, would be looking to sell the mills to the Town or some appropriate entity. As it unfolded, the Essex Group did sell the mills and the appropriate entity to receive them was determined to be the NCDC, who took ownership in 1997. These Mills were comprised of the concrete and “trap rock” buildings along Main Street (north of Rivermoor Landing), the waterfront granite mills (behind the Main Street mills) and a complex of buildings (later sold) across the river, off Bay Road.

In the early years, the NCDC received many proposals from developers for the mills, mostly to transform the buildings for residential occupancy. In 2001, the NCDC sold the Bay Road mill complex to a local developer, Chinburg Builders, who razed the crumbling central concrete structure to create a courtyard and transformed the remaining buildings into the market rate condominium units now known as Bryant Rock.

In keeping with the NCDC mission, Bryant Rock includes:

• A public-accessible area for an interpretive historic display,
  inside the Bryant Rock entryway;

• A reconstructed pedestrian bridge, connecting Bryant Rock
  with the Main Street mills’ courtyard, and;

• A public-accessible walkway and floating dock, off Bay Road.

All were provided by the developer as part of the property transfer negotiations undertaken with the NCDC.

Around this time, the NCDC recognized that adequate parking and infrastructure would be required to entice development of the Main Street mills. With that in mind, the NCDC supported the 1998 warrant article, which enabled a Tax Increment Finance (TIF) district in the downtown. This innovative vehicle, of which Newmarket has been hailed as an early adopter, allows the earmarking of future tax revenues driven by development for current infrastructure improvements. It should be noted that the entire mill complex had been generating approximately $12,000 in tax revenue for the town and, with only a portion of the mills redeveloped, that figure now stands at well over $200,000.

In 2004, the NCDC was approached by Smuttynose Brewing Company, who expressed interest in converting the riverfront portion of the Mills (but not those located on Main Street proper) into a brewery, café, restaurant and other mixed uses. The NCDC entered into an Option Agreement with Smuttynose in July 2004, to allow them to explore the viability of this project. After several extensions of the agreement, both parties agreed to discontinue negotiations in late 2005.

Based on current circumstances the NCDC concluded that the best approach is to redevelop the entire mill complex. In early 2006, the NCDC interviewed several qualified consultants the assist in framing the redevelopment process. The chairs of both the Town Council and TIF Advisory Board participated in the selection process and, in April 2006, The Cecil Group was selected as planning consultant. Over the course of the summer of 2006, the NCDC and The Cecil Group compiled the requisite background information to create a Developer Request for Proposal (RFP). The RFP was distributed in the fall of 2006 to attract potential developers for the Main Street and riverfront mill complex. A developer was selected in July 2007 and the NCDC worked with that developer through a due diligence period that extended into February 2008. At that point, the developer close to withdraw from consideration. The NCDC continues to evaluate prospective developers.

The NCDC has been and remains an important piece of the community and economic development equation for the Town of Newmarket. As residents of the town, the all-volunteer board will continue to work with the community, its elected officials and otherwise interested parties with our strong ties to the town’s heritage and an eye on the future.