New Concord building to bring Friendly Toast, rooftop bar

Dec. 27—A five-story, mixed-use building will bring a new vibe to downtown Concord with a rooftop bar and a patio on the ground level for pop-up restaurants.

A Friendly Toast restaurant and patio along the sidewalk on South Main Street also are part of the plan.

Developer Steve Duprey said city planners pushed him to "think a little bigger" after he first proposed a two-story building at 20 S. Main St., which is located between the Concord Food Co-op and Bank of New Hampshire Stage. A Victorian home built in 1854 on the property will be demolished or moved.

The fifth floor is expected to house a fully restored, prefabricated 1940s diner in an event space to be managed by the Grappone Conference Center, also owned by Duprey. The diner was once owned by Michael Dingman, a former New Hampshire businessman and one-time Ford Motor Co. director. The diner was restored in Ohio before being moved to New Hampshire.

The roof deck will include a bar and space with artificial turf where games such as bocce and cornhole can be played. A retro Airstream camper will be lifted onto the roof to be used as a bar.

The planning board unanimously approved the project last week, but Duprey will return if changes are made to the design.

Duprey bought the property from Families in Transition, which ran a consignment shop out of the Victorian home, around the same time he bought the old Concord Theatre at 16 S. Main St., across from the Hotel Concord. The Concord Theatre was transformed into the Bank of New Hampshire Stage.

"They asked if I'd consider buying it and I did," Duprey said in a phone interview. "That enabled us to make the Bank of New Hampshire Stage without worrying about the negative impact it would have on Families in Transition."

He did a number of studies about what to do with the property, including redeveloping the Victorian home or building apartments. He explored a possible new hotel, but owning a few others in the city he knows the market.

"None of those seemed to make great sense," he said.

About three years ago, Duprey offered $100,000 toward relocating the building to a new lot. A move will be challenging given the utility cables. He said there is one other option he is looking at to move it.

The house was built by the owner of the bakery where the Bank of New Hampshire Stage is now. During the Civil War, the bakery produced hardtack biscuits for the Union Army.

"I wanted to save the building," Duprey said. "I've saved more old buildings than I've had to tear down."

If the home can't be saved, he will collect historic elements to be displayed in the lobby of the new building, as he did with the "Smile Building" and "Love Building" across from the Capitol Center for the Arts.

Duprey said he's impressed with the owners of Friendly Toast and wanted to bring the chain to the capital city. The chain, which started in Portsmouth, now has 10 locations across New England.

"I'm always in search of getting more retail and more restaurants in downtown Concord, because it further helps make it a destination stop," he said.

The plans call for a courtyard in the rear of the building, which will include a Container Kitchen or food truck.

"It is not a huge space, but it will be fun," said Erin Lambert, P.E. Associate Vice President at Wilcox & Barton Inc.

The alley will be reconstructed to draw pedestrians. An ice skating rink might be installed in the winter, Duprey said.

The building will have five floors. No tenants are lined up for the 15,000 square feet of office space, which Duprey admits is a risk.

A poll was conducted along with the Chamber of Commerce on what the building should look like. The survey drew more than 1,100 responses.

"The opinions were very wide and far," Duprey said. "Some said, 'It looks too much like Portsmouth.' Others favored the most traditional design."

The Architectural Design Committee favored something less traditional, with brighter colors, he said.

Renderings show a green patina to resemble copper but will likely be changed to a "Dartmouth green," which won't be as drastic.

"I think we kind of split the difference," Duprey said. "We don't want a building that 20 years down the road you go, 'What were they thinking?'"