This project was undertaken by the City of Somersworth, New Hampshire as a form of second-generation urban renewal. The city was responsible for the demolition of the neighborhood on this site in the 1960’s that led to its replacement by a strip shopping mall and parking lot. The municipality maintained ownership of the land and public facades of the mercantile building, which had fallen into disrepair.

Our design created a new and deep arcade that serves to screen the sun and the old storefronts. The two tower structures create an unmistakable identity for the locale and hearken to the mill tower structures of the nearby brick mill buildings. The use of ornamental lighting, concrete block, brick and synthetic stucco add an element of style lacking in the earlier design.