17 Water Street Proposal Submission Criteria

June 20, 2025

City of Claremont - Request for Preliminary Proposals

City of Claremont – 17 Water Street

Request for Preliminary Proposals

Sale by City of Real Property

General Information

  1. The City of Claremont is seeking preliminary proposals for the purchase and development of the property commonly known as the former State office building at 17 Water Street in Claremont, NH.
  2. The City is seeking a qualified party with the interest, resources, and experience to purchase and develop the parcel and in a manner that would be a desirable addition to the downtown/riverfront area, as well as to the City as a whole.
  3. The City may request additional information and/or presentation by developers following the preliminary proposal review.
  4. The City reserves the right to accept or reject any or all proposals for the best interest of the City.
  5. Proposals should be submitted to citymanager@claremontnh.com with no copies to other parties, or, alternatively, may be dropped off to the City Manager’s Office at 58 Opera House Square, Claremont, NH 03743.
  6. Proposals will remain confidential until such time as the City Council meets to review proposals.

Property

  1. 17 Water Street is in Claremont’s Mixed Use (MU) zoning district.
  2. The property consists of a 32,751 gross area brick building on a .12AC lot on the Sugar River.
  3. The property was previously used as a State of NH office building.
  4. There is a small amount of parking on the parcel and additional parking available for lease on nearby City owned lots.

Proposal Content

  1. Transmittal Letter, including:
    1. Name, title, and contact information of the individual(s) with the authority to bind the developer.
    2. Address and legal form of the developer.
    3. Authorized signature.
    4. A statement that, if selected, the developer will negotiate in good faith with the City.
    5. A statement that the developer is not in arrears in the payment of any obligation due and owing to the State of NH, or the City of Claremont, including tax payments and employee benefits.
    6. A statement that the proposal is valid for a minimum of 60 days from the submission.
    7. A statement that the developer will conform and accept responsibility for compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local laws, ordinances, and regulations.
    8. A list of desired contingencies.
  2. Statement of Qualification: Provide a summary of the developer’s experience with projects similar to the proposed project. Descriptions of previous projects should include the following: total land and building area, scope, location, development value, duration of project from inception to completion; role of team members during project execution.
  3. Statement of Financial Capability to complete the project.
  4. Project Plan: Submit a conceptual description of the proposed project that includes the intended uses for the proposed development.
  5. Timeline: An estimated timeline for project commencement and completion should be included.
  6. Sale Price: The proposal will include the amount the developer is willing to pay for the parcel.
  7. Any other relevant information the developer wishes to include to assist the City Council in making a determination.

Evaluation Criteria:

  • Purchase Price
  • Developer qualifications, experience, and vision
  • The capacity of the development proposal to benefit the City of Claremont
  • Developer ability to successfully execute a project from concept to completion and ongoing operation
  • Proposed project timeline

While the proposed price paid for the property will be one of the determining factors, other factors will be; whether the project produces property tax revenue, utilizes the entire property, meets unmet community needs (example, housing, lodging or retail establishments), the amount of positive impact on the overall community and to the immediate neighborhood, the timetable of the proposal and its  financial viability as well as the financial capability of the developer will also be considered as determined by the City.

Timeline:

  • Preliminary Proposal Deadline:                         June 20, 2025
  • Proposal Review by City Council:                     June 25, 2025
  • Notification to Developers:                               June 27, 2025

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