Former Police Station to Be Converted to Self-Storage in Manchester, NH

Francis Rich, founder of Tranquility Holdings LLC, has received zoning approval to convert a former police station in Manchester, N.H., into a three-story, climate-controlled self-storage facility. The Manchester Planning Board approved plans for the project last week after debating the proposal for several months.

Construction will begin on the property at 351 Chestnut St. as soon as the final permits are issued, and portions of the facility could be open as early as Aug. 1, according to Rich’s attorney, John Cronin. The facility will include about 240 units, most of which will be 5-by-10s. In addition to self-storage, it will also offer office space for lease, Cronin said.

The conversion project has faced a number of obstacles. Rich sued the city and won last month after officials said an initial variance was defective. Emergency-service personnel also attempted to impose several conditions on the property, including limitations on box trucks and access to the building for police-dog training. The planning board rejected the conditions, vice chairman Ray Clement told the source.

The former police station was put on the market in 2012 for $2.1 million when the city began construction on a new police headquarters as part of a $43 million municipal complex. The price has dropped several times since the building became vacant, the source reported. Rich agreed to buy the building for $749,000.

Since the police station went on the market, several developers have approached the city about developing various real estate projects, such as office space or residences. However, consultants have said most conversions would be cost-prohibitive, the source reported. The steel-framed building is constructed of brick and cinder block. “The difficulty with the building is it was built to withstand a nuclear bomb,” Cronin told the source.

Tranquility Holdings is based in Candia, N.H.