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NEREJ Project of the Month: Nashawtuc Country Club

TFMoran Structural Engineers worked with Maugel Architects and Dellbrook | JKS to complete a 55,000 s/f clubhouse renovation at Nashawtuc Country Club. The recently completed project located in Concord, Massachusetts, is featured as Project of the Month in New England Real Estate Journal’s December 2021 issue.

“Special attention was given to improving clubhouse circulation by creating clear and distinct paths for visitors and members. Public and private event spaces were strategically arranged to connect to essential food service areas while providing privacy for member-only areas.”

Maugel Architects

Prior to the renovation, food service supplies and preparation areas were located on separate levels. The newly centralized kitchen was designed with staff efficiency and member experience in mind. In addition to new food service and dining areas, the renovations included a 3,500 s/f fitness center and a 1,000 s/f fitness studio set to offer a variety of classes.

The project team also included CSL Consulting and Precision Fitness Equipment.

Check out the full article.

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New England Real Estate Journal names two TFMoran projects as “2021 New England Top Projects in Construction, Design & Engineering”

Bio-Techne Corporation in Devens, MA and NH SportsDome In Hooksett, NH were recently featured in the December issue of New England Real Estate Journal (NEREJ) as “New England Top Projects in Construction, Design & Engineering”. TFMoran is proud to be a part of two project teams in providing engineering design services.

Bio-Techne Corporation – Devens, MA

TFMoran provided structural engineering design and construction administration services for a 26,000sf addition to the corporate headquarters of Bio-Techne Corporation located in Devens, MA. The new single-story addition provides a combination of manufacturing and warehouse space for the life sciences company.  TFMoran worked with project architect Maugel Architects and construction manager Connolly Brothers to provide the new space broken into three areas: an extended shipping area, storage and warehouse, and manufacturing.  Two new interior mezzanines were provided, one each in the warehouse and manufacturing areas respectively. Existing gas and fiber-optic utilities within the construction footprint required a custom foundation to allow for continuous operation of the utilities during construction.

The main structure was constructed with a combination of exterior wall types including cold-formed steel studs with masonry veneer and insulated metal panel exterior.  The addition is constructed with a structural steel frame. Lateral systems consist of HSS steel chevron braces.  Both mezzanines are constructed of concrete on a composite steel deck supported by open web steel joists.  The warehouse mezzanine is supported by load-bearing concrete masonry shear walls.  The manufacturing mezzanine is supported by structural steel moment frames.

This project was also featured as New England Real Estate Journal‘s “Project of the Month” in February 2021. Check out the full story here.

NH SportsDome – Hooksett, NH

TFMoran provided survey, site/civil design, structural design, local, state, and federal permitting, landscape architecture, traffic engineering, and construction phase services for the NH SportsDome, located in Hooksett, New Hampshire. The indoor sports field is used by both youth-based sports teams and adult teams for turf sports such as soccer, field hockey, baseball, softball, lacrosse, football, etc.  The “dome” structure was inflated on January 9th and measures approximately 80,500sf and encloses one (110-yard by 70-yard) turf field with the ability to split the field into two smaller training fields available for use year-round.

 The Farley Group provided the air-supported dome structure. Capital Construction, LLC was the General Contractor. Severino Trucking Co., Inc. was the Site Contractor. The facility opened in February 2021.

This project was also featured as “Project of the Month” in April 2021. Check out the full story here.

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Dylan Cruess’ Mid-Year Engineering Review published in New England Real Estate Journal

New England Real Estate Journal’s July 30th issue features a Mid-Year Review Spotlight with 18 professionals from numerous industries, including TFMoran’s Chief Operating Officer, Dylan Cruess. Dylan gives his perspective on how the first half of 2021 is going in the engineering field. The good news is “So far in 2021 the positive factors outweigh the economic uncertainties.”  Dylan writes about challenges of the rising costs of construction materials and supply delays that our clients are facing in their development projects, along with more strict environmental regulations, plus approval and permitting delays. Additionally, there is a high demand for new construction of affordable multi-family housing and warehouse distribution facilities, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Overall, the first half of 2021 has been strong despite these uncertainties and many of TFMoran’s clients are optimistic about the future. The engineering and construction industries are as busy as ever.

To read Dylan’s full mid-year review article, click this pdf link NEREJ Mid-Year Review Spotlight 2021

New England Real Estate Journal
Mid-Year Review Spotlight – Engineer

So far in 2021 the positive factors outweigh the economic uncertainties.

This has been quite a year so far! Many aspects about the economy seem counterintuitive and unpredictable thus far which historically should cause a reduction in new development projects, but my firm, and the construction industry as a whole, are as busy as ever. Continue Reading →

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TFMoran Project Featured in New England Real Estate Journal’s Project of the Month

The New England Real Estate Journal has chosen Bio-Techne Corp. as the February project of the month. Construction was recently completed on the 26,000 s/f addition to the corporate headquarters located in Devens, Massachusetts.

TFMoran provided Structural Engineering and Construction Administration services for the project, and worked closely with Connolly Brothers, Inc. and Maugel Architects. The single-story addition provides more manufacturing and warehouse space for the life sciences company.

Check out the full article here.

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TFMoran President Robert Duval in New England Real Estate Journal’s “2021 Forecast Spotlight”

TFMoran President Robert Duval shared his point of view on recent construction and real estate industry trends in The New England Real Estate Journal‘s “2021 Forecast Spotlight“. Industry trends he predicts will linger include a shortage of skilled labor due to the misalignment between education and the needs of employers. He goes on to state “applicants with degrees from well-known schools have only rudimentary training in the software that they will need on the job from day one”. Strict regulations are another setback for the industry, with the permitting process, rather than design controlling the project delivery date. “Nearly all commercial projects these days are required to submit studies of items once considered to be only for ‘major projects’. Bob goes on to say “another thing that won’t be changing in the year ahead: it will take a team of skilled experts working together from the earliest possible moments to deliver a successful project on time”.

Read the full article:  NEREJ-2021 Forecast-Engineering Expert.

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TFMoran’s President, Robert Duval in Panel Discussion at NEREJ Summit

TFMoran President Robert Duval recently attended The New England Real Estate Journal Nashua/Manchester/Bedford N.H. Summit at the Courtyard Marriott in Nashua. Robert was included in a panel discussing engineering, construction costs, and architecture. Check out the article in the pdf link NEREJ May 2019 Issue NH Summit  or read the text below.

New England Real Estate Journal Hosts Nashua/Manchester/Bedford N.H. Summit

by Jennifer Tempesta, New England Real Estate Journal

NASHUA, NH The New England Real Estate Journal held their Nashua/Manchester/Bedford N.H. Summit on April 25th at the Event Center at the Courtyard by Marriott Nashua, 2200 Southwood Dr. Over 100 people were in attendance.

The first panel was held from 9 – 10 a.m. and was moderated by Chris Norwood of NAI Norwood Group. Speakers included: Patrick Brady of Cornerstone Realty Capital; Megan Prieto Giokas of Granite Commercial Real Estate; Melanie Sanuth of the Manchester Economic Development Office; and Greg Bryant of Bedford Cost Segregation.

Topics for this panel included: Development of opportunity zones, new development updates and cost segregation.

The panel began with Sanuth speaking about new developments that are up-and-coming in Manchester. She mentioned how this will be the year of hospitals. Other new developments include the Red Oaks Apartments and The Factory on Willow, a mixed-use development.

For the Bedford area Giokas mentioned the new Market and Main, which is a 16-acre, class A mixed-use retail development.

On the private side of development, Brady spoke about the challenges with return on equity. “The high cost of land and the high side of construction is certainly the reason why there isn’t as much deal flow as maybe there was in 2014 and 2016,” he said.

In regards to the challenges regarding identifying properties that are available and have appreciation opportunities, Giokas said, “People are trying to identify opportunities, but until the final regulations come into place, it is difficult to tell their investors ‘let’s do this’ the way the rules keep changing.”

Bryant spoke on the finance side of appreciation. He mentioned the Tangible Property Regulations as of 2014. “What those regulations did was they gave you some guidance in terms of whether you are able to capitalize or expense certain incoming assets.”

Norwood asked the panel what they are seeing for pricing on new construction. Brady responded, “The only way to make money in this market is to be adding value.”

Sanuth is seeing more opportunities in public/private partnerships, and feels positive about the future in New Hampshire.

The second panel was held from 10 – 11 a.m. and was moderated by Philip Hastings of Cleveland, Waters and Bass, P.A. Speakers included: Greg Stewart of Jewett Construction Co.; Robert Duval of TFMoran; and Laura Homich of Prellwitz Chilinski Associates. Topics for this panel included: Engineering, construction costs and architecture.

Hastings opened the panel mentioning how financing and land is available, but the cost of construction is so high. Duval expressed how there are challenges, especially in the wetlands areas. He said, “There is going to be a tightening down of regulations, to the point where it will become increasingly difficult to develop sites.” He notes to get involved early and do your homework upfront to help with the process.

Next, on the topic of construction costs, Stewart noted that one of the biggest factors is the shortage of labor. “Right now what is driving all costs is the shortage of labor, whether it is construction, manufacturing or technology,” he said.

Stewart mentioned the need to start educating the youth, schools and parents, because there is a high level of opportunity in the construction field.

Another factor for construction costs is the weather, living in New England. Need to start planning for the trends away from the typical calendar of seasons.

The panel agreed the way to value engineering and save on construction costs is to use everybody’s skill set throughout the design process, including the construction, design, engineering and owner’s teams.

On the topic of new innovations to help manage these costs, Stewart spoke about prefabrication. “Prefab systems allows for a less skilled labor. All the components are being built in a shop, which is a team environment. It also cuts down on waste at a job site, so innovations, such as prefab is something that I can see as a real future to cutting costs down the road.”

Homich discussed the innovations she sees on the structural side includes cross-laminated timber.

Duval noted that structural systems are always evolving. There are composites being used now. “Hire professionals that are keeping up with the market.”

Software innovations include: • 3-D modeling such as Revit, which helps with seeing conflicts in projects; • Virtual reality; and • Procore for construction management.

These all help owners and developers in the design process and with permitting.

At the end of the panel, Duval said, “In any sizeable development, consider mixed-use if at all possible. You are making much more efficient use of the space, you can increase the density of development and you can reduce the traffic, because there are multi-purpose trips.”

Homich said, “Ultimately, what we are trying to do on any circumstance, especially when it comes to mixed-use in the town and master planning, is to create a place where it enables people to have a great time.”

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TFMoran featured as “Company of the Month” in June issue of New England Real Estate Journal

TFMoran is very excited to be selected as New England Real Estate Journal‘s Company of the Month in the Retail Trends & Development section of the June 22-28, 2018 issue! The full page article focuses on the Company’s 50 years as a leading consultant to the land development industry, and features the staff of nearly 70 professionals, plus current high-profile projects in southern New Hampshire. And, we made the NEREJ cover, check it out TFMoran on NEREJ Cover June 2018 To view the printed article click on the following pdf link TFMoran is NEREJ’s Company of the Month for June 2018 or read the text below.

 

June 22-28, 2018       New England Real Estate Journal

Retail Trends & Development

Company of the Month

PRACTICE AREA EXTENDS THROUGHOUT N.H., MASS., MAINE, VERMONT, N.Y., PENN. AND N.J.

TFMoran celebrates 50 years as a leading consultant to the land development industry

BEDFORD, NH The year 2018 marks 50 years of service for TFMoran, Inc., a leading consultant to the land development industry, offering civil, structural, and traffic engineering, land surveying, landscape architecture, construction support, and environmental permitting services. Originally a local firm based in southern New Hampshire, TFMoran’s practice area now extends throughout the state and into Mass., Maine, Vermont, N.Y., Penn., and N.J.

Since its inception in 1968, TFMoran has been a leader in bringing innovative land planning and smart development practices into the marketplace. According to the firm’s current president, Robert Duval, “TFMoran has been designing sustainable sites long before it became a buzzword. By their very nature, good designs reduce impacts to the natural environment, harmonize with their surroundings, make more efficient use of infrastructure, thereby saving our clients hard costs, as well as simplifying the approval process.”

The current ownership team has been in place since 2013, including: President and chief engineer, Robert Duval, PE; chief operating officer, Dylan Cruess; and senior vice presidents Jeff Kevan, Paul Sbacchi, PE, and Corey Colwell, LLS, all long-term employees with decades of hands-on experience.

Cruess said, “The shared goal of the new ownership team from the outset has been to build on the strong corporate brand that TFMoran has created over the past fifty years, always seeking innovative ways to deliver best-in-class client service. We must be doing something right, because in 2016 we were named Business NH’s Business of the Year in the Real Estate, Construction and Engineering category, and we have also earned a statewide ‘Best of Business’ award for the last six years in a row.”

Consistent with its focus on sustainable development, Duval points out that TFMoran has built a strong reputation for successful redevelopment of underutilized urban and industrial land.

“We have played an integral role in many of the region’s most significant redevelopment projects, among them the SNHU Arena and the N.H. Fisher Cats Stadium in Manchester’s urban core; redevelopment of the Bedford Mall, Wayfarer Hotel, and former Macy’s properties in Bedford; the GE Aviation Plant expansion in Hooksett, conversion of several mill buildings in Lowell and Lawrence to residential/ commercial use, and a new 1,700-car parking garage at the south end of Manchester’s historic millyard, currently under construction. Just these few projects alone provide hundreds of millions of dollars of new tax base and revenues to the local community,” said Duval.

In 2014, TFMoran acquired MSC Civil Engineers and Surveyors, a well-established civil engineering and surveying firm in Portsmouth, NH. Subsequently, in 2015, TFMoran expanded its structural engineering department by acquisition of Steffensen Engineering Associates with a solid 30-year history of their own. The TFMoran team now comprises over 65 individuals, including licensed land surveyors, civil and structural en­gineers, landscape architects, wetland scientists, LEED professionals, and erosion control (CPESC) specialists.

Jeff Kevan, manager of the civil engineering group, points out that one of TFMoran’s primary strengths is taking on large projects with ag­gressive schedules. “Our team has demonstrated time and again the ability to meet challenging deadlines through teamwork and an innovative approach to the unique needs and opportunities for each project. Our reputation is built on our track record, and our record is evidence of the pride we take in what we do.”

“We have experienced strong growth over the past few years,” said Paul Sbacchi, chief structural engineer. “But growth in itself is not our goal; we plan our growth to better serve our clients. Our clients have their own tight schedules to meet, and we want to be there to help them succeed.”

Cruess is quick to point out that TFMoran is also a great place to work. “We have numerous employees with young families, and so we encourage a ‘family-focused’ culture, with accommodating work schedules, with the opportunity to work from home when need arises.”

Another pillar of TFMoran’s culture is employee safety. Cruess said, “We have made employee safety a top priority. We have a strong safety committee, with a comprehensive and up-to-date Safety Handbook, and field employees receive OSHA 10 Construction Site Safety Training.”

TFMoran strongly encourages its employees to become involved outside the workplace in professional and community organizations. “An involved person is a caring person, and a caring person fits in well at TFMoran,” said Cruess. “We strive to provide all employees the flexibility they need to serve their communities.”

Many TFMoran employees focus their outside energies in state and local government, serving on advisory committees, planning boards, zoning boards, and as elected officials. In this way, TFMoran can use its experience to help shape the regulatory environment to protect the environment and foster economic prosperity.

How would you summarize the TFMoran philosophy? According to Duval, “We want to be leaders and innovators in our industry, and active, responsible members of our communities. We want to take on projects that have a positive impact on their surroundings. And every day, we are grateful for the opportunity to provide all these things while providing superior value to our clients too.”

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Robert Duval Speaks at Northern New England State of Commercial Real Estate 2017 Summit

On Thursday, June 29, 2017 New England Real Estate Journal hosted the Northern New England State of Commercial Real Estate 2017 Summit at the Portsmouth Harbor Events & Conference Center in Portsmouth, NH. TFMoran was a Corporate Sponsor, along with Build-It Construction, Fulcrum, CBRE|Portsmouth and Hinckley Allen. PROCON and Waterstone were the Gold Sponsors and Vendor Sponsors were U.S. Pavement and KANE.

The event started out with networking during a breakfast buffet, followed by 3 sessions of topics addressing Commercial Real Estate, ending with discussions and networking between attendees and speakers. Sessions included Capital Investments & Financing Availability; Construction Projects & Trends; and Real Estate Updates & Trends. TFMoran’s president and Chief Engineer, Robert Duval, PE was asked to speak on the panel addressing Construction Projects & Trends. Some of the topics he addressed included an update on regulatory and permitting issues; a shortage of skilled labor in the workforce (specifically engineering and surveying); and new 3D technology in design and construction. Mr. Duval was one of 15 professionals who spoke on the panels. For a full list of speakers click this link NNE Commercial Real Estate Summit 2017

Nearly 150 people attended this vibrant and engaging Summit, and we are looking forward to the next one. A big thank you to New England Real Estate Journal for putting on a great event and for sharing their photos with us!

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Robert Duval featured in New England Real Estate Journal’s 2017 Retail Forecast Spotlight

The January 27 – February 2, 2017 issue of the New England Real Estate Journal, features an article written by TFMoran’s president and chief engineer Robert Duval, PE, LEED AP. TFMoran is the exclusive civil engineer for the 2017 Retail Forecast Spotlight. The article, Mixed-use developments are becoming more popular than the traditional shopping center, appears in the Shopping Centers section of the publication, which can be viewed by linking here, or reading the text below.

Mixed-use developments are becoming more popular than the traditional shopping center
Robert Duval – TFMoran, Inc.

Many, if not most, recent large retail projects have been moving into “mixed-use development” centers rather than traditional shopping centers. A mixed-use development is, according to Wikipedia – “a type of urban development that blends residential, commercial, cultural, institutional, or industrial uses, where those functions are physically and functionally integrated, and that provides pedestrian connections.”

There are three key concepts here – the blending of multiple uses, integration, and pedestrian connections. All three are required for a true MUD. Without multiple uses you have… well, a shopping center. Without integration, you have just a collection of different uses with no interaction; and without pedestrian connections (which is really a form of integration) there is no advantage over driving down the street from one place to another.

From an engineering perspective, the advantages of integrated development over conventional shopping centers are substantial. For example, traffic volumes developed by shopping centers is fairly well understood, and is usually determined by plugging your total retail space into the appropriate formula for shopping centers and voila – you have your result.

On the other hand, for mixed-use centers there is a second step that involves looking at interaction between pairs of related uses – for example restaurants and cinemas, cinemas and apartments, apartments and offices, offices and restaurants, and so on, based on the concept that one vehicle trip may have multiple purposes, and these trips are shared among the various uses, rather than totaled up.

These multi-purpose trips can often reduce total trip generation by a third or more, thus significantly reducing off-site traffic impacts and costs of mitigation. Similar analyses of parking demand will also show reductions in parking demand, often in the range of 5% to 10%. These parking reductions can reduce costs and increase efficiency beyond just the pavement savings; as impervious surface area decreases, so too does the cost and extent of stormwater infrastructure to capture, detain, and treat all that unnecessary pavement.

Also, by integrating multiple uses into a single property, whether by consolidating parcels or simply by master-planning in a way that can ignore lot lines, greater land use density can be achieved by avoiding internal lot line setbacks, inefficient parking layouts, as well as unnecessary driveways and utility connections.

All the foregoing advantages of traffic, parking, and drainage are irrelevant if easy, convenient, and safe pedestrian connections are not provided between the major uses. New England weather being what it is, it is not realistic to expect that pedestrians will willingly park thousands of feet from their destination year-round. Therefore, direct, easily traversable pedestrian routes should be part of the earliest site planning exercises.

From a permitting point of view, as in so many other aspects of land development, the market is ahead of the regulation. In many communities, mixed-use developments will find they are prohibited by conventional “exclusionary” zoning ordinances and may require variances or zoning amendments to get off the ground.

However, the reception of mixed-use projects from planners and regulators is generally positive. Most communities understand the benefits of mixed-use development – in terms of increased tax revenue and employment opportunities with fewer negative impacts. Mixed-use centers, by their very nature, tend to locate in city centers within or adjacent to older, under-utilized manufacturing or commercial areas. This development thus provides the twin benefits of revitalizing city centers and reducing the need for new “greenfield” development. As a result, many communities already allow for this type of development in their zoning codes, and others are working on it.

As community planners catch up, we can expect more mixed-use developments to appear in our city centers (which, by the way, was the original purpose of a “city center”). The resulting increase in commer­cial activity will in turn create the positive employment and residential opportunities and more efficient use of infrastructure so important to the future health of our cities and towns.

Robert Duval, PE, LEED AP, is president and chief engineer for TFMoran, Inc., Bedford, N.H.

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TFMoran’s Retail Project “Featured Property of the Month” in New England Real Estate Journal

The March 25-31, 2016 issue of New England Real Estate Journal showcased TFM’s civil and structural engineering retail project, Ashley Furniture and Ashbrook Furniture as the “Featured Property of the Month” in the “Shopping Centers” section.  Read the full story below, or click on the link for a pdf version. NEREJ March 25-31 2016 Feature of the Month

DESIGNED BY LANDRY ARCHITECTS AND CONSTRUCTED BY TRB DEVELOPMENT GRP.

TFMoran designs new 68,000 s/f retail store site for Ashley Furniture and Ashbrook Furniture

Manchester, NH – AAA Realty, LLC is pleased to announce the recent opening of a new Ashley Furniture and Ashbrook Furniture retail showroom in Manchester, located on 5 Driving Park Road, behind Wendy’s in the heart of the South Willow Street retail district.  The new furniture showroom carries a wide selection of living room, dining room, bedroom, and home office furniture.  Ashley Furniture is the largest furniture manufacturer in the world, according to the company’s website.

TFMoran, Inc., a local full-service engineering firm, helped obtain the approvals for the new facility, and provided civil/site engineering, structural engineering, land surveying, permitting and landscape architecture for the new 2-story 68,000sf furniture showroom.   The building was designed by Landry Architects of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and constructed by TRB Development Group of Hooksett.

During the past several years, many large furniture stores in the Queen City have closed their doors.  This new major furniture outlet reverses that trend, and, according to the developer, will establish a choice in furniture sales, “Ashley Furniture Industries feels that every person deserves more value for their money”.  Established in 1945, Ashley is one of the largest manufacturers of home furnishings in the world.  “Ashley is committed to delivering the world’s best home furnishing values, selection and service, and earning the loyalty and trust of its customers every day.”

The 2.7 acre Driving Park Road site, originally zoned for industrial use, had been abandoned since a fire destroyed a former health club on the site, leaving behind a 9,600 square foot medical clinic. Several years ago, the site was rezoned to the B-2 General Business District, more in keeping with the retail uses on neighboring South Willow Street.  Just to the north of the site, a former Osram Sylvania manufacturing plant has also recently closed, and is slated for more future retail development.

Members of the City Planning Board agreed that the new use for this blighted site was a good fit, and were pleased with the modern, attractive design.  According to TFMoran’s project manager Chris Rice, “the site plan package for the new retail store was a perfect fit for the mixed-use character of this commercial neighborhood, with a Wendy’s restaurant in front, a major shopping plaza to the south, numerous banks, offices and small retail shops, and a City recreational field all within walking distance.”

Rice continued, “Fitting a major furniture store on less than 3 acres was a challenge.  In addition to the building pad which was nearly one acre itself, we needed to provide adequate customer parking, and separate customer and truck circulation, loading docks, and fire access all around the building. To accomplish this, we had to go to the ZBA for a variance to allow 81% where 75% is required.”

On the other hand, according to Rice, the site did need to be made to conform to modern regulations for stormwater management: “Being a former industrial site, the property was crisscrossed with utilities with no stormwater treatment anywhere on the site.  Yet we were able to find a drainage solution that worked around the existing infrastructure, and provided treatment facilities such that all surface runoff would go into an underground system and nothing would be released into nearby Nutt’s Pond.  That is a major improvement in stormwater management, and we were therefore able to obtain an Alteration of Terrain permit through NHDES as part of the project.”

TFMoran President Robert Duval also commented on the environmental benefits of this project.  “Redevelopment of blighted industrial sites makes good sense.  Once difficult to permit, now most regulatory agencies and municipalities recognize that good planning and good environmental stewardship means encouraging flexible and creative solutions if redevelopment of existing properties is to be economically feasible.”

Duval continued, “Redevelopment sites can also offer certain economic advantages such as mature utilities and roadway networks needing little or no improvement, remoteness from sensitive natural habitats, and proximity to public transportation and other community services.”  Former Chairman of the Planning Board Kevin McCue commended the applicant for their proposed development because this area had been blighted for a number of years.

We are very happy about this location, said a spokesperson for Ashley Furniture, “In less than 10 years, we have become the No. 1 selling furniture brand in the world and the No. 1 retailer of furniture and bedding in the United States.  Our stores are located throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, Central America, and Japan, and we are expanding domestically and abroad every day.”