NRPC Spark Brochure

IGNITING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN THE GREATER NASHUA REGION

NASHUA REGIONAL PLANNING COMMISSION

SETH DEWEY PHOTOGRAPHY

A HISTORY OF PLANNING AND COLLABORATION Regional planning is an important part of fostering balanced growth in New Hampshire. As the oldest of nine planning commissions in the state, Nashua Regional Planning Commission has been in existence since 1959. Now serving 13 municipalities, the Commission focuses on developing and implementing innovative planning strategies that preserve and improve the quality of life in Southern New Hampshire. As a regional resource, NRPC also serves as a liaison between communities and a number of state agencies, such as Departments of Transportation, Environmental Services, Homeland Security and Emergency Management, Business and Economic Affairs, as well as federal agencies including the Highway and Transit Administration.

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13 MEMBER COMMUNITIES

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1. LYNDEBOROUGH 2. WILTON 3. MASON 4. BROOKLINE 5. MILFORD 6. MONT VERNON 7. AMHERST

8. HOLLIS 9. NASHUA

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10. MERRIMACK 11. LITCHFIELD

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12. HUDSON 13. PELHAM

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WHAT WE DO AT A GLANCE • Provide a clear voice for the region at the State and Federal levels • Serve as a resource to support and enhance local planning • Provide a forum for communities in our region to share and coordinate land use, environmental and transportation planning

• Prepare a comprehensive master plan for the development of the region and encourage the most appropriate use of land, facilitation of transportation, recreation and other key resources • Prepare a Regional Housing Needs Assessment to address the housing needs for persons and families of all income levels

“ I grew up here and grateful for the opportunities the greater Nashua Region has provided t o my business. It’s the perfect environment for a business to make meaningful connections, grow and prosper.”

– MEGAN PRIETO GIOKAS

When I bought this company 13 years ago, I knew I wanted to stay true to my roots. Growing up in Nashua, I saw firsthand the richness of opportunity for families and businesses. The region provides varied housing options, talented employees, knowledgeable professionals, networking opportunities, and access to capital. It’s the perfect environment for a business to make meaningful connections, grow and prosper.

MEGAN PRIETO GIOKAS Granite Commercial Real Estate | Nashua, NH

SETH DEWEY PHOTOGRAPHY

SUPPORTING THE REGION NRPC provides its member communities with comprehensive planning services addressing environmental, land use, transportation, and regional planning issues as well as offering mapping and data services. 1,500+ RETAIL BUSINESSES 13 MEMBER COMMUNITIES 500 FOOD + LODGING ESTABLISHMENTS

OUR REGION AT A GLANCE

77% OF RESIDENTS COMMUTE LESS THAN 25 MILES 8 FRESHWATER BEACHES 1 HISTORIC BASEBALL STADIUM

30.5 MINUTES FOR AVERAGE COMMUTE 56 OPEN SPACE AREAS 50+ CULTURAL, ATHLETIC, HISTORIC AND MUNICIPAL SITES

$325K AVERAGE HOME VALUE 300 MILES OF TRAILS FOR HIKING AND BIKING

“ Babel’s Maple Syrup was born out of a lifelong love for maple syrup. Now I make my own and make 100 gallons a year.”

– JEFF BABEL

My uncle used to make his own maple syrup and I had many childhood memories of warm pancakes and homemade maple syrup. So in 2006, I decided to continue the family tradition by tapping the maple trees in my yard in Mason. The first year I made 4 gallons of maple syrup using a small camping stove and a propane turkey fryer on the tailgate of my pickup truck. We now have a sugarhouse and make 100 gallons a year.

JEFF BABEL Babel’s Sugar Shack | Mason, NH

SETH DEWEY PHOTOGRAPHY

THE CURRENT STATE OF THE REGION The last couple of years have changed the face of business everywhere—including right here in our region. Consumer habits have shifted. Working patterns have changed to include flexible schedules and work from home options. Many businesses turned to emergency funding sources and innovative ideas to navigate the pandemic. To address this, we embarked on an in-depth discovery with business owners and community leaders in our region.

STILL GROWING Over 4,000 new businesses have been established in the Nashua Region since 2018 including nearly 800 in professional services, 700 in construction, and 600 in retail.

LOOKING AHEAD WITH OPTIMISM What we found were incredible insights to what the future can look like here in the Nashua Region. Unemployment rates are now lower than pre-pandemic levels. Entrepreneurs are still opening businesses and the high income and moderate home prices, compared with the Boston Metro Area, are compelling people to consider our region more and more.

SETH DEWEY PHOTOGRAPHY

SETH DEWEY PHOTOGRAPHY

SPARK: IGNITING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN GREATER NASHUA The Spark program is intended to stimulate investment in the region. This program started with a Covid-19 recovery plan for businesses and will continue to support them into the future. Our goal is to meet the needs that we heard and to connect entrepreneurs and businesses with the resources they need to thrive.

OUR GOALS FOR THE REGION The Greater Nashua Region is not particularly well known for its entrepreneurship culture. However, there is a long history of innovation in the region and many people have taken the initiative to start new businesses in recent years, even during the midst of the pandemic. That’s why we are squarely focusing on fostering entrepreneurship through expanding access to resources and breaking down barriers.

SETH DEWEY PHOTOGRAPHY

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING TO SUPPORT • Stimulating investment in Opportunity Zones, Economic Revitalization Zones, Brownfields, and other targeted redevelopment sites • Encouraging flexibility in permitting, licensing and land use regulations to allow businesses to respond and adapt to changing conditions • Marketing and promoting the region to attract new businesses, residents, and visitors

Another critical goal is to support businesses by expanding the region’s workforce through attraction, retention, and recruitment. With that comes a hard look at some critical pieces of our region that directly play into growing our workforce: • Including our aging population • Advocating for an increasing housing supply (both affordable and market rate) • Looking at ways to expand affordable childcare • Marketing and supporting what the region has to offer for young workers and families

• Advocating for additional housing that meets the needs of the community (both affordable and market rate)

SETH DEWEY PHOTOGRAPHY

SETH DEWEY PHOTOGRAPHY

“ Our commercial space is perfectly in the middle of it all—we’re close to Nashua and Windham and we’re right off the highway. ”

– JIM + JENNIFER DINOVO

My husband started DesignWorks back in 2006. Back then it was just a design company. He grew quickly and in 2009 we pivoted to a design and build company. Jim grew up here in New Hampshire so settling here made sense for us. During the pandemic it was hard to attract new workers so we came up with an innovative program that invited people to come work a day for $25/hour. It was very successful and we have a number of long-term employees from that program.

JIM + JENNIFER DINOVO DesignWorks Landscaping | Hudson, NH

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1. LYNDEBOROUGH 2. WILTON 3. MASON

4. BROOKLINE 5. MILFORD 6. MONT VERNON

7. AMHERST 8. HOLLIS 9. NASHUA

10. MERRIMACK 11. LITCHFIELD 12. HUDSON

13. PELHAM

CONNECTING ENTREPRENEURS WITH RESOURCES TO BLOSSOM One of the great things this region has to offer is a wealth of resources for entrepreneurs and business owners. Here’s a quick roundup of our favorites. Head to the Spark website to get the full details and links.

GENERAL • StayWorkPlay’s Insider’s Guide to Greater Nashua • NRPC Traffic Count Viewer • Living Wage Calculator for Manchester-Nashua • Fourth Economy Community Index ENTREPRENEURSHIP • Existing Entrepreneur Support Services • NH Small Development Center Info WOMAN AND MINORITY OWNED BUSINESSES • Program Overview (NHDOT) • Nashua DBE Site • Nashua Transit System DBE Certification • New Hampshire Center for Women and Enterprise • NAACP Grants

CHAMBERS • Greater Nashua Chamber of Commerce • Greater Hudson Chamber of Commerce • Greater Merrimack Souhegan Valley Chamber of Commerce ORGANIZATIONS & OPPORTUNITIES • Stay Work Play New Hampshire • New Hampshire Lodging & Restaurant Association • NH Business Review • Business & Industry Association New Hampshire • New Hampshire Housing and Finance Authority • Regional Economic Development Center | Raymond, NH

SPARK.NASHUARPC.ORG 603-417-6570 30 TEMPLE STREET, NASHUA, NH 03060