Main Street in the Midst of a Facelift

Plymouth’s main street has undergone many changes throughout the years, with several rehabilitations, including the spruced up appearance of the movie theater and reconstruction of the building that once housed O’Malley’s, a local bar. This year is no different, as several projects are in progress with the intent of improving the Plymouth community.In the past year, the intersection of Main Street and Holderness Road has seen changes, as the old corner location of Winnipesauke Bagel was recently demolished. This is due to the building of a new bridge that will replace the current bridge that crosses the Pemigewasset River from Holderness into Plymouth. “The new bridge will have a completely different look,” said Plymouth community planner June Rowan, “including better lighting and sidewalks on each side.” Preliminary construction may begin this summer but it s expected that the project should really get underway in the construction season of 2005 and be completed by 2006. “The bridge is being realigned to match with High St.” said Rowan, which will also include a roundabout, facilitating traffic to flow more easily through the four way intersection. She added: “We will also be continuing the stone walkways seen in the Plymouth commons.” Rowan also discussed how with the new bridge will come additional improvements on Green Street which is currently run-down in appearance and not practical.Such a large construction project begs the question of how the town is funding the addition of a new bridge. The building costs for the new bridge are split with 80 percent coming from the federal level and 20 percent from the town. The school has recently given the town a large endowment of money, which will cover 50 percent of the town’s cost in building the new bridge. Outside of Plymouth Ski and Sport, renovations are underway to improve the appearance of the storefront, adding greater continuity to one of the most popular and visible parts of Main Street. “We are changing the front of the store and adding an awning as well as new windows and a new entrance,” said owner Daniel Masera. “It should resemble Chase street market when we are finished.” The Plymouth Ski and Sport project is a private, privately funded renovation. The town of Plymouth itself is also planning on making several changes in coming years.In 1998, Plymouth joined the New Hampshire Main Street Programs, a highly competitive program that helps with everything from designing restoration projects to public relations. Their four core elements of guidance include: organization, design, economic reconstruction and promotion. The program includes towns such as Milford, Dover, Tilton and Laconia. Plymouth’s affiliated organization, Main Street Plymouth Inc., works with local businesses and communities to preserve the celebrated small-town atmosphere and revitalize the downtown area. They offer a storefront rehabilitation program in which local business owners can apply for loans anywhere from $1,000 to $20,000 to enhance the outside appearance of their store and the downtown area in general.In terms of prospective projects, the town is already looking forward to further improvements. The section of Highland street in-between the turn to Plymouth Regional High school and Hatch Plaza, a section infamous with most Plymouth drivers for poor conditions, is going to be revamped. The design should begin this summer and construction in the summer of 2005. They are also looking at making additional improvements on the section of Main Street that runs south of Subway, though they are only assessing the feasibility and any work would be years down the road.