Concord Exit 17 Development Lands New NH Liquor And Wine Outlet

CONCORD, NH — A third liquor store — or fourth, if the count the one mere minutes from the city line with Pembroke — is planned for Concord, according to the New Hampshire State Liquor Commission.

The new New Hampshire Liquor and Wine Outlet will be constructed at the Concord Crossing on Whitney Road project off Exit 17 near Interstate 93 in Penacook. The store, which will be a "state-of-the-art" facility and around 12,000 square feet, will be constructed near a new Market Basket grocery store.

Commission Chairman Joseph Mollica said the store will feature an expanded selection of wines and spirits in a new spacious shopping environment.

“The New Hampshire Liquor Commission is committed to renovating and relocating our outlet locations to better serve our 12 million annual customers and generate critical revenue to support state services," said NHLC Chairman Joseph Mollica. "This new location at Exit 17 is strategically located to capitalize on the more than 34,000 vehicles that pass along the route each day and positioned alongside other premier retailers."

The store is expected to feature more than 4,000 sizes and varieties of wines and spirits, special sections of the store devoted to premium liquors, as well as local products, "price busters" and "power buys." It will also feature LED light fixtures, iPad kiosks to eye wine and liquor pairings with food, and spacious aisles. The design will be similar to the new store constructed in 2017 in Warner.

An open date was not released by the commission at post time. The new Market Basket was expected to start construction later this year but that was before the coronavirus pandemic.

David and Laurie Rauseo of Interchange Development LLC, the owners of the project, said they were excited about the update.

"We are very excited to be constructing a New Hampshire Liquor and Wine Outlet at our Exit 17 development," they said in an email. "The NH Liquor and Wine Outlet is a favorite complementary use to the Market Basket and a great addition to the mix of tenants we have planned for Exit 17."

The city, according to previous reports, was expected to set aside $100,000 to survey the area, which officials hope will include new development, at some point, along the Merrimack River, from the Whitney Road intersection to the former Concord Monitor printing press location.

The Rauseos first proposed to develop the parcel in mid-2011.

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