Construction on Dartmouth's South Block project has finished, with the completion of the fifth, and final, building late last month. The development -- which includes shops, cafes, and residential apartments -- is part of the College's efforts to stimulate business in downtown Hanover.
"The South Block project has expanded our downtown," Hanover Town Manager Julia Griffin said. "Previously, retailers south of Lebanon Street were in a part of town pedestrians didn't venture to ... The project has also done a lot for that part of town, which, before, had a lot of older buildings and spotty tenants."
The development comprises five multi-use buildings located on the corner of South Main and South Streets. Local merchants have been moving into the space for the past, including Ramunto's Brick & Brew, Hanover True Value Hardware, and Umpleby's Bakery. Commercial tenants of the newly completed building include The Mountain Goat, which sells outdoor clothing and equipment, and C. Beston and Company, a home furnishing store. Yama, a Korean and Japanese restaurant in West Lebanon, will open a second branch in the new building, according to the College's Real Estate Office web site.
Charles Umpleby, owner of Umpleby's Bakery, said he was glad to see the construction come to an end.
"The construction is finally finished, and our patio, which extends around the store, is completely finished now," Umpleby said. "Also, the fact that [The Mountain Goat] is now open is a positive thing. It will hopefully attract more people to the block."
The Mountain Goat currently offers climbing and camping gear, as well as hiking clothes. The store plans to expand its selection depending on customer feedback, owner and manager A.J. LeFlour said.
Though sales are not as high as he had hoped, LeFlour said business has exceeded his expectations.
"Umpleby's is a great draw to South Block; so is the hardware store and Ramuntos," he said. "There are a lot of good draws to the block. The whole block is working well."
LeFlour says he is relying on the community's support as he builds his business, especially in the wake of the recent economic crisis. "Value, kindness and good service is important to us, and I think people might not spend as much money -- maybe they will -- but I'm hoping people will buy quality and support a community-based store," he said.
LeFlour hopes to establish a good rapport with the Hanover community, adding that he plans to involve the store in town events in order to give back to the town.
LeFlour also owns and operates another Mountain Goat shop in Northampton, Mass. There are also two other independently operated Mountain Goat stores in Williamstown, Mass., and Concord, N.H.
Construction on a new, upscale hotel on South Street will begin in 2009, according to Sasa Cook, director of communications at Olympia Companies, the hotel management and development company that plans to build the hotel.
A surveying team recently discovered a small amount of soil contamination from an underground oil tank, Griffin said, which will slightly delay construction.
"It is not at all surprising in finding that sort of contamination," Griffin said. "It is almost to be expected, considering a previous use of the site was a public-works facility."
Cook said although the survey revealed some geotechnical issues, there were no "insurmountable" problems.
Olympia hopes to submit plans with the hotel's structural specifications to the town in the next two weeks, according to Cook. Plans for the 72-room hotel include an underground parking lot, a restaurant and a conference room.
Umpleby, whose bakery is directly across the street from the hotel site, said he does not expect to be severely inconvenienced by the hotel construction.
"In the long run, the center of town might actually shift down here. It's really exciting," he said.
