The City of Dover and Cathartes Celebrate the Completion of Nebi Park and The Truette Apartments

Dover, NH – Cathartes, a Boston-based commercial real estate development firm, joined community leaders and officials from the city of Dover on Tuesday, July 14 to celebrate the opening of Nebi Park—the city’s newest public park—and The Truette Apartments with a joint ribbon cutting ceremony held at the Nebi Park Pavilion.

“The development of Dover’s Waterfront District is a success story nearly forty years in the making,” said Dover Mayor Dennis Shanahan. "Dover residents have advocated for the revitalization of The Waterfront District since the early 1980s, and the Cochecho Waterfront Distr Advisory Committee and Cathartes turned that vision into reality. We are proud of the progress we have made and look forward to welcoming the community into this neighborhood.”

The ribbon cutting ceremony honored the significant progress that has been made in developing The Waterfront District, a vision conceived by Dover residents nearly four decades ago to transform a former public works site into a vibrant, mixed-use destination that restores public access to the Cochecho River and reconnects the city’s downtown to the site of its historical shipping hub. The project was overseen by the Cochecho Waterfront Development Advisory Committee (CWDAC).

A new dedication plaque was unveiled, and a native American tribute was performed in song by the Cowasuck Band of the Pennacook Abenaki People. Nebi Park owes its name to the Abenaki word for “water.”

Mayor Shanahan and Cathartes partner and Managing Director Jeff Johnston delivered remarks, as did former CWDAC chair Dana Lynch. An aide to Sen. Jeanne Shaheen also shared a prepared statement.

“The City put its trust in us—a private developer—to take on this property and shape its master plan, and that is a responsibility we have tried to live up to every step of the way,” said Johnston. “From the very first conversations about the master plan, this site was never just about buildings. The City and CWDAC were clear from day one: whatever we built here had to reconnect the site to downtown and celebrate the Cochecho River.”

Efforts to remediate and redevelop the Cochecho River waterfront began with Dover residents who raised concerns about the location of the public works site and related pollution in the mid-1980s. By the early-to-mid 90s, the plant was torn down and relocated to its current location on Middle Road, and the city had secured Coastal Grant funds to restore Henry Law Park, another public park located to the northwest of The Nebi Park Pavilion along the waterfront.

Shortly after the turn of the century, the public works garage was relocated to Mast Road and by 2004, the city established CWDAC. Initial proposals to develop The Waterfront District were stalled by the Great Recession of 2008. In 2018, Cathartes entered a public-private partnership with the city of Dover to make residents’ vision come to life as the development firm.

“This successful outcome has evolved over time, but the obstacles and setbacks along the way have not deterred us, and, in fact, have seeded an improved project outcome,” said former CWDAC Chair Dana Lynch, “We have done this together. We should all be proud of this betterment of our community.”

Today, there are already more than 160 residents living in the newly built apartments, and Topolino Restaurant, founded by James Beard-award-winning Chef Evan Hennessey, opened its doors within The Truette earlier this spring. Upon completion, The Waterfront District will feature more than 400 residential units and 20,000 square feet of commercial space.

Now, open to the public, Nebi Park is a 3.5-acre riverfront destination featuring a 2,300-square-foot pavilion and green space capable of hosting small community events. Members of the public are welcome to sit in the pavilion and enjoy the cool breeze, enjoy lunch at the picnic tables, or walk along the riverfront trail that extends to Maglaras Park. The park also features a canoe sculpture and a “Liberty Tree” elm planted by the Margery Sullivan Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, which is set to be dedicated with a new plaque on Saturday, July 18 at 11 a.m.

The Truette is a 220-unit mixed-use residential community offering a 5,000-square-foot coworking space The Perch, world-class dining options and panoramic views of the Cochecho River. Amenities include a rooftop lounge and terrace, elite athletic spaces with Pelotons, free access to kayaks and paddleboards, weekly resident events and pet-friendly amenities like a groom room. Studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom units are currently available for rent, along with spacious 2,200 square-foot townhomes featuring upgraded finishes, a fireplace and private garage parking.

During the ceremony, Johnston said the next phase of The Waterfront District’s development, a new building with 43 condominiums branded “Rivelle,” is expected to be complete in early spring of next year. The condo units are now available for sale. For additional information, contact Aland Realty at rivelle@alandrealty.com.

For more information about The Waterfront District, please visit www.waterfrontdistrictdover.com.

About The Waterfront District: The Waterfront District, located along the Cochecho River in Dover, NH, is a public-private effort between the city of Dover and Cathartes. Once complete, the mixed-use district will offer more than 20,000 square feet of commercial space and over 400 residential units spread across three mixed-use buildings, two multi-family buildings and three groupings of townhomes.