Time for this month's waterfront update. The focus of work in May was on completing underground utility work and preparing the new River Street and Seaport Way roads for base pavement.

May highlights:



• Completed all remaining water service work for townhome buildings E-1 and E-2.
• Installed the last sewer service lines for buildings E-1 and E-2 along River Street.
• Finished drainage work and installed all catch basins for the new streets.
• Made significant progress installing electrical and telecommunication duct banks on Seaport Way and River Street. Over 85% of the work on River Street is complete, with the remaining section located near the southern end of building D.
• Completed forming and concrete pouring for approximately 450-500 feet of duct banks.

Construction work at the Dover Waterfront.

Upcoming Work:



• Continue work on electrical and telecommunication duct banks in the Makem Bridge intersection.
• Prepare the roadway for paving by conducting pre-remedial action plan (RAP) survey work.
• Install select gravels to provide stabilized road access throughout the site.

This progress allows for continued work on paving the roadway and providing access to the entire site.

In addition to the above, another milestone in the project, the City of Dover officially sold three waterfront parcels to the developer, Cathartes, on Friday, May 31, as part of the first phase of the site's development. The sale totaled $1,316,751.58.

The parcels are Lot 1-4, Lot 1-5, and Lot 1-6 and encompass more than five acres of the 29-acre site. These parcels include the property within the River Street loop road and one parcel on the other side of River Street that borders Seaport Way.

The sale allows Cathartes to begin constructing its buildings and working alongside the city's contractor making the public improvements to the site.

The development plan includes constructing three mixed-use buildings, two multi-family buildings, and three clusters of townhouses. The Planning Board approved Cathartes' site plans in June 2022, which include mixed-use developments with approximately 26,000 square feet of commercial space and 418 residential units. A colored rendering of the Cathartes site plan and the architectural renderings of the proposed buildings can be viewed here.

The money from the land sale will be used to pay the bond payment of the Waterfront Tax Increment Financing District (TIF), along with increased valuations from the private development improvements. The bond is funding the public improvements to the site including roads, utilities, and the public park.

P.S.: To those who inquired, yes, I kept my steps up in Alaska. In fact, I had an all-time high of 35,158 steps one day. 

P.P.S.: A quick thank you to all who served on D-Day that are still with us, 80 years later.

Have a great weekend,

Christopher G. Parker, AICP

Deputy City Manager: Development and Strategic Initiatives

Frequently Asked Questions

By James Burdin,

Business Development Coordinator

Q. How does the city decide what businesses can come to Dover?

A. This is probably the most common question we get. The short answer is that there are actually many factors, some of which are entirely outside of the city’s control. 

Land use regulations: There are a variety of state and local ordinances that impact where certain businesses can locate or what their site looks like when they do. Municipal zoning ordinances regulate how properties can be used, including places where different business activities can occur and how intensely. Other regulations may have specific requirements for site layout, signage, or environmental protections. 

Building, health, and fire codes: These codes are designed to ensure that business locations are safe and accessible for employees and customers. Code requirements vary according to the business use, and requirements for some industries can be very specialized. This means that older buildings may require major renovations before they can be used for certain purposes. Property developers often leave new commercial spaces unfinished until they have been leased by a tenant; this makes it easier to customize for a new business, but also increases the amount of work required prior to opening. 

Finance and Insurance: Business decisions aren't always solely between the business and the city. Investors, lenders, or insurance providers may choose not to work with business models they see as risky, or impose financial limits on their involvement. 

Recruiting and Assistance: The Office of Business Development can help businesses find a location in Dover in several ways. We work closely with business advisers like the NH Small Business Development Center (SBDC) to help businesses make detailed business plans or understand their financial projections. We help businesses navigate permitting processes, and we frequently refer businesses to owners of available properties and vice versa. We are also always open to suggestions for new types of businesses to add to our community and will seek out new or expanding businesses that align with these requests and with Dover’s Master Plan.

Private market: Most new business projects ultimately come down to private business decisions that are based on market factors. A business use may be permitted under codes and regulations, but the improvements required to adapt the property may still be cost-prohibitive. A business is also unlikely to succeed in a location that does not have access to its primary customer base. Meanwhile, property owners use a variety of factors to decide which businesses to lease to or renew, including minimizing their own risk, contractual obligations to other tenants, or their plans for future development. 

Upcoming Business Event

Small Business and Entrepreneurship Pop-up with the

Center for Women & Enterprise

The Office of Business Development is partnering with the Center for Women & Enterprise (CWE) to host a community pop-up! The event will take place on Friday, June 21, from 12-2 p.m. in the City Hall Auditorium. 

CWE Community Pop-ups create an experience for existing and aspiring entrepreneurs to tap into a wide array of resource partners, make new relationships, and up your entrepreneurial game- all while having fun! Expect a spacious venue with music and friendly prompts for networking, (no awkward icebreakers!) Enjoy activities like headshot sessions and consultations, plus seating areas for breaks and recharging. It is an inclusive space for all women and entrepreneurs of all genders interested in joining diverse business communities.

Visit the CWE’s event page for more information or to reserve your spot! 

Question of the Week

The Office of Business Development is asking a “question of the week” to get your feedback on topics related to our local business community!

This week, we want to know:

What questions do you have for the Office of Business Development?

Let us know here and we'll answer in future newsletters: https://polco.us/f5et9t

Here are the results from last week's poll, which asked, "Would you find it helpful if the city placed QR codes around the community to access the downtown map and community event calendar?"

Dover Download podcast: Your guide

to what's happening this week

In the latest episode of Dover Download, Deputy City Manager Christopher Parker chats with Brian Early from Media Services and Erin Bassegio from the Planning Department to discuss the recent activities of various boards and commissions in the city of Dover.

The podcast is available wherever you get your podcasts, including Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and by clicking here.

Business Event Happenings 

Looking for something in Dover? The Office of Business Development continues to update the community calendar to cover all the amazing Dover business events.

Click here or on the calendar below to find more community events!

Click here to add your events to the community calendar.