Opinion: North End Portsmouth Will Host Whole Foods Market

By Paul Young

Nancy Elwell’s recent letter regarding HarborCorp’s North End Portsmouth project contains numerous factual misstatements and false assertions and I would like to set the record straight.

Most importantly, North End Portsmouth will not host a casino. It will be home to a Whole Foods Market and fulfill the long-term community desire for a downtown grocery store, which has been absent since the closure of the A&P decades ago. Having prominently worked against expanded gambling and casinos in New Hampshire for decades, I assure you I would not be associated with any development remotely contemplating a casino. A downtown grocery store will help make Portsmouth an even more walkable city.

North End Portsmouth will indeed have a beautiful roof garden accessible to the public. The roof garden overlooks the proposed North End Plaza with its outdoor cafe and public art and creates a wonderful view of the historic Hill buildings and restores a view of the North Church steeple. I hope one day Ms. Elwell will join me on the roof garden for a cup of coffee to enjoy the views and beautiful setting.

As for the so-called “exotic trees” the Tree of Forty Fruit is the inspiration of HarborCorp’s Chris Thompson and speak to his commitment to creatively designing North End Portsmouth to add to the charm of Portsmouth for decades to come. While these trees are unique, they are created by grafting 40 different types of hardy stone fruits, which are quite use to surviving New England winters. When their buds blossom in the springtime, they send forth an explosion of colors that will warm hearts and remind us all we survived another winter.

Like the Trees of Forty Fruit, the landscaping of trees along the north side of the railroad tracks was not, in fact, my idea or an attempt “to put lipstick on a pig” as Ms. Elwell asserts. It does represent just one more of dozens of examples of HarborCorp’s responsiveness to public input to improve the project. The idea for the landscaping came from city staff. Chris Thompson thought it was a good idea and at his expense, he has agreed to landscape the area that is on city-owned land. The city will have to abide by railroad clearance requirements and PanAm will not object. I can’t imagine why Ms. Elwell or anyone else would object to having more trees in the North End?

HarborCorp is not a “greedy cheap” developer with plans to “snap up” other buildings in Portsmouth to develop. Chris Thompson and the Griswold family have been a big part of the Portsmouth community for more than three decades. Along with building and operating the Sheraton, a Portsmouth landmark, they have been active and involved in numerous civic, charitable, and community activities and great employers.

I encourage people who want further factual information about North End Portsmouth to visit NorthEndPortsmouth.com.

Paul Young is the founder and president of Novus Public Affairs.