Market Basket Agrees To Build New Concord Store On Exit 17 Parcel

CONCORD, NH — The grocery store tenant slated to be constructed at Exit 17 off I-93 in Penacook will be a new Market Basket, according to the developers of the parcel. Interchange Development LLC's David and Laurie Rauseo made the announcement Friday that the store will be constructed at new development at the intersection of Route 4 and Whitney Road. The new Market Basket, the third one in the city of Concord, will be an 80,000 square feet supermarket that will abut 20,000 square feet of retail space.

"Market Basket will anchor other commercial uses proposed on the 43-acre site, one of the largest developments in central New Hampshire," the Rauseos said in a statement. "In 2018, the Concord Planning Board and Concord City Council voted to rezone nearly 30-acres on Whitney Road to Gateway Performance District, which opened the door for discussions with possible supermarkets. The Exit 17 site is well suited for commercial development, as it has municipal water and sewer, access to I-93, and high traffic counts."

The 200,000 square foot plan will include other retail options, food establishments, banking, and medical uses as well as a warehouse building. The development, which is expected to add about $35 million to $40 million worth of assessed property to the city, is contingent on intersection improvements by the state of New Hampshire and the city of Concord at the intersection of Whitney Road and Route 4.

"Such roadway improvements are necessary even today, as Route 4 carries over 20,000 vehicles per day," the Rauseos said, while also thanking city officials for bringing the project to this point. "We look forward to continuing to work with the council and city staff as the development advances through the local and state permitting phases."

The battle to bring a full-service grocery store to the area has been going on for nearly 20 years with residents hoping that a store would be built at the tannery site in Penacook, as part of a mixed-use development, after millions of dollars were spent to clean up the site. That "pipe dream," as one city official called it, delayed opportunities for a new store to be built, including a rezoning attempt that was hijacked in 2011.

The announcement that Market Basket will be the anchor tenant marks an eight-plus year endeavor by the Rauseos who have been trying to bring a store to the area.

A Facebook site has been created to allow the Penacook and Concord communities to be updated about the project's progress: facebook.com/supermarketatExit17.

Market Basket, which is based out of Tewksbury, Massachusetts, has nearly 80 stores around New England.

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