Residents weigh in on Keene's planned downtown infrastructure overhaul

The roughly 50 people who came to City Hall throughout the day made suggestions ranging from improved parking, more electric vehicle charging stations, wider and safer sidewalks and increased green space.

Katie Folts of Keene, who works at The Colonial Theatre, said she hopes improvements to the Main Street corridor will improve business for the theater, which reopened in March after a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic and building renovations.

“My priority would be restructuring the walkability and having more visual cues to draw people downtown whether it’s plants or public art,” Folts said. “I think public art could do a lot to slow down traffic and make it more attractive for people spending time there.”

The project, which carries an estimated cost of $7.4 million according to Public Works Director Kürt Blomquist, would tear up Main Street and include upgrades to sewer and stormwater systems, broadband expansion and sidewalk upgrades. Construction would begin in 2023 and last through 2025.

Blomquist said the city is still determining the exact funding breakdown for the project, but some money will come from Keene’s sewer fund and general fund.

He added that the city has also applied for a $300,000 grant from the N.H. Department of Environmental Services and a low-interest loan for the stormwater and wastewater upgrades, estimated at $900,000.

The project, part of the city’s Capital Improvement Program, would primarily affect Main Street, stretching from Central Square south to the intersection of Water Street.

Blomquist added that many of the downtown sewer and water systems were built in the early 19th and 20th centuries, with only limited upgrades since then. While downtown water mains will be completely dug up and replaced, he said some sewer mains may only require a new lining, depending on their condition.

Blomquist said previously that this work would include widening stormwater lines to help reduce instances of flooding, which affected Keene and other area towns last summer.

Stantec, a Canadian-based engineering services company, is the city’s consultant and designers on the project. Ed Roberge, a project manager with Stantec, said the city reached out to the firm in February through a competitive solicitation. He said the improvement plan also presents an opportunity to reimagine the streetscape in the vision of Keene residents.

“Keene already has a great vibe,” Roberge said. “Now how do we improve that?”

One of the primary concerns, he added, is ensuring that downtown retailers aren’t disrupted during the two-year construction

“There’s a sense of fear out there anytime you do a downtown project,” he said. “So we need to make sure we’re collaborating with the businesses.”

On a poster board for Stantec’s design goals for the project at City Hall, several attendees wrote additional goals they’d like to see on sticky notes. One note read “To make sure businesses survive the construction,” and another read “Minimize construction impact for businesses.”

At a walking tour of the project area Wednesday evening with Roberge and 20 attendees — including business owners city officials and Keene residents — Roger Weinreich, owner of Good Fortune Jewelry & Pawn on Main Street, said he’s definitely concerned about the disruption the work could cause, but there’s a silver lining.

“To mitigate the impact on businesses and downtown residents would be wonderful,” he said. “We have a chance to redesign the city and make it one of the most friendly and walkable cities in the U.S.”

To help with this issue, Roberge said the project will be broken down into phases, beginning with improvements to sewer and water systems in 2023, followed by remodeling Main Street with feedback from the public.

Roberge added that the corridor will still be accessible to vehicles, bikes and pedestrians during construction, but specifics are not yet known.

Weinreich added that he thinks the city can work to encourage public interest in the infrastructure work.

“Having a proactive focus on how we bring people down might involve having special Saturday events with excavators doing digging for people and kids to watch,” he said. “That would bring people down and make this like a fun project.”

Ward 2 City Councilor Bobby Williams said he’s pleased with what he’s seen of the project so far, and he’d like to see separated bike lanes and plenty of bicycle parking.

“I’m excited about it,” he said Wednesday. “It’s something we need because the pipe infrastructure is well over 100 years old and that needs to be replaced before it starts costing a lot more money,” he said Wednesday.

Keith Thibault, chief development officer of Southwestern Community Services, said he hopes that the rechristened Main Street will encourage more tourism to Keene.

The final concepts for the project, including phasing and design, are expected by the end of the year. Blomquist said the public can follow the progress of the project and submit input on the city’s website starting next week.