Two views of the “co-living” development proposed by developer Mark McNabb in downtown Portsmouth. Image courtesy of Arcove Architects
The owner of a Portsmouth car dealership, who is also a developer, has filed plans with city officials for an apartment building on a portion of his dealership’s lot.
Anthony DiLorenzo is seeking permission to build 48 units in a 4-story mixed-use building whose ground floor would be made up of retail space.
DiLorenzo owns Portsmouth Chevy, which sits on an 18-acre lot near Portsmouth’s traffic circle, and hopes to put his new development on a portion of that property at 549 Route 1 Bypass.
An outbuilding containing a 3,000-square-foot coffee shop with a drive-through could become a contentious part of the proposal, however.
At a recent Portsmouth Planning Board meeting, the development team was told that, because the project includes more than one “principal building” it would need to abide by the city’s 20 percent workforce housing requirement.
DiLorenzo’s is the second new apartment building proposed in Portsmouth in recent days.
Prolific local developer Mark McNabb has filed plans with the city for a 55-unit “co-living” apartment building in the city’s downtown.
The 134 Pleasant St. site includes a former Citizens Bank branch, which would be renovated and leased to Kennebunk Savings Bank if the project is approved.
Co-living housing, allowed under a section of Portsmouth’s zoning code approved in May and championed by McNabb, combines private rooms for sleeping with larger-than-normal common areas.
The net effect is to allow larger numbers of single individuals – particularly younger service industry workers – to share each apartment, lowering their individual housing costs, while still giving each tenant adequate elbow room.
For example, the second floor of the Pleasant Street project includes 17 bedroom “sleeping units,” two with ensuite bathrooms, grouped around a large, shared common space that includes a kitchen, lounge area and nine additional bathrooms, plans show. Co-living projects still require a conditional use permit, and are limited to 40 residents per floor.
McNabb is also seeking city permission to convert one of his approved projects elsewhere in downtown Portsmouth to co-living. City officials OK’d an earlier, more traditional iteration of McNabb’s plans this year for a residential conversion of a former department store building at 15 Congress St.
If approved, that proposal would have 83 “sleeping units” in seven suites housing up to 125 residents, plus 26 one- and two-bedroom apartments, plans show, plus an underground garage serviced by a car elevator.
