Miffland Neighborhood
Miffland NH Chair Tim Kamps’ message from the 2015 CNI Annual Report:
It continues to be a great time to be a resident of “Miffland.” During the last year, we have seen the completion of Domain and Ovation, two high-rise apartment buildings on West Johnson Street, and anticipate an infusion of new energy in our neighborhood as residents begin to occupy more than 500 net new apartments created by these projects.
In addition, the now-completed Block 100 project resulted in the careful restoration of long-vacant landmark and historic buildings, including at Mifflin and Fairchild Street, where the new restaurant Cento has opened in the beautifully preserved Fairchild/Stark and Schubert buildings. On the other side of the block, Vom Fass and several other retail stores are opening in the new flatiron building at State and Fairchild. It is important to note that operating revenues from Block 100 will support the Overture Center, which in turn benefits the neighborhood through high-quality performing arts, a thriving arts district, and increased property values.
Two major new apartment projects have recently broken ground in our neighborhood: Johnson Bend, a 12-story building on the 400 block of West Johnson, and an 8 and 10-story complex on the 100 block of North Bedford. Both participated in the neighborhood development review process, and the steering committee appreciated the professional courtesy demonstrated by involving us early in the process, carefully listening to our comments to improve the project, and communicating well, all in the service of achieving the best development proposal for the neighborhood based on zoning rules for the area.
In addition to residential construction, Hovde Properties is performing a major renovation to the former AT&T building at 316 West Washington Avenue. When complete, the building will contain updated Class A office space, new windows, remodeled lobbies and other common areas, and will house several hundred tech workers for a software company, among other tenants.
In the year ahead, we look forward to addressing both challenges and opportunities in Miffland. The Philosopher’s Grove area at the top of Mifflin Street will continue to be the focus of significant programming efforts and police resources to mitigate what has at times been a haven for bad behavior, public intoxication, and intimidation. Traditional student housing within the district continues to exhibit signs of its age, which represents the potential for significant changes in the character and composition of our built environment and resident mix. These changes also have the potential to limit availability of affordable housing for residents at all income levels, which is a significant concern in the district. We anticipate more opportunities for development review in the near future, with collaborative and productive review processes and positive outcomes. New commercial and retail spaces created by Block 100 and Ovation will further contribute to our already thriving shopping and entertainment district. Most of all, we continue to celebrate and enjoy our neighborhood, which AARP deemed “most livable” in the country (May 2015 Bulletin available at aarp.org).
