Business View Magazine - November 2016

132 Business View Magazine - November 2016 erated ten million dollars of investment. We are part- nering with a particular developer who is committed to the job creation component, as well as generating the tax revenue to pay the $10 million bond. Phase One of a half-million square foot shopping center is open; Phase Two is under construction; and then, there’s a Phase Three that will probably be housing. That hasn’t occurred, yet, but is in the early planning stages.” Regarding housing, Pollard relates that Rochester has available space for new housing units for its expand- ing population. “We are anticipating population growth and we’re trending at about six percent right now,” she says. “When Safran chose Rochester, our vacancy rate dropped dramatically as they started hiring. And they still have about 250 people to hire. So, we anticipate continued population growth and continued housing development for the near future. We’ve got 2,000 units approved; a lot of that is rental or condo-style housing, townhouses, and multi-tenant apartment buildings.” Another growing sector of Rochester’s economy is healthcare. “Healthcare is a very important compo- nent in our community,” says Pollard. “Because New Hampshire is older than a lot of the rest of the north- east, we have a very strong hospital – Frisbie Memo- rial. They have an entire campus of additional servic- es: the Joslin Diabetes Center, a cancer center, and an ambulatory surgical center which just finished con- struction. There are probably nine medical buildings in all that make up the hospital campus. It is right next to the airport and the major industrial park, as well. So, there’s a tremendous amount of activity in that quad- rant of the city.” Rochester also has a vibrant downtown core with his- toric buildings, such as City Hall and the Rochester Op- era House, and Pollard says that the city works closely with developers interested in renovating some of the older downtown buildings. “We have passed the exist- ing building code, which means that developers of an F For over 35 years, Oak Point Associates has been transforming client needs into innovative de- sign solutions. As a full service, interdisciplinary design and consulting organization providing a wide range of architectural, engineering, and planning services, we offer an advantageous integrated design approach. Our clients enjoy the benefits of comprehensive design capabilities merged with broad experience and personalized service. With locations in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and Biddeford, Maine, Oak Point Associates serves the public and private sector throughout New England and the Mid-Atlantic States. Our capabilities have been demonstrated through successful and award-winning projects for cli- ents that include municipalities, state agencies, educational institutions, universities, and private entities, as well as federal agencies such as the U.S. Navy, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and U.S. General Services Administration. Exceptional service is a hallmark of our opera- tions; principals of the firm are involved in every project and lead a staff of 79 highly qualified per- sonnel. Under the leadership of Robert C. Tillot- son, Architect, PE, President, the team provides a full range of professional services including: n Architecture n Engineering – Mechanical / Electrical / Structural / Civil / Fire Protection n Interior design n Landscape architecture nnn Maine 231 Main Street Biddeford, ME 04005 T 207.283.0193 F 207.283.4283 New Hampshire 85 Middle Street Portsmouth, NH 03801 T 603.431.4849 F 603.431.1870 ContaCt us: