Quote:
Originally Posted by Woodsy
Jay peak had huge amounts of land and very few neighbors close by. They had the space and the water resources to build that water park. They also already had a ski mountain. If a waterpark were to be built in the area, I would look to Gunstock.
I live in the Weirs year round, and I can tell you without a doubt, its a ghost town in the winter. You have the Lobster Pound, Tower Hill Tavern and the Gringo and Looney Bin. The ONLY tourist type business open year round is Funspot. Everything else is boarded up.... In the winter people drive 45 minutes north to Lincoln... or to North Conway.
Even Meredith, with all of their NH Hospitality hotels, is a ghost town in the winter... with the obvious exception of Pond Hockey & Fishing Derby. I would love to know the occupancy rate in the Winter... my guess is 30% - maybe 40%.
You really only have a few pieces of property "in Play" at the Weirs and IMHO they are too small to make the Weirs a year round destination.
The Pier... been for sale forever. Minimal owner investment made to keep property up.
The Wide Open Saloon property.... but the Baldis didn't file a new site plan to rebuild on the old footprint within a year, so now the setbacks make the property very hard to build on.
The Waterslide property.... decent footprint with odd shaped sloped lot. Definitely buildable, perfect spot for a hotel. But the owner wants to lease it. You will see Beer tent & vendors there for bike week, maybe a clam shack in the yellow building. but little else.
The Surf Coaster property... been for sale forever. The city did vote in a zoning change to encourage a hotel complex there. But no nibbles.
The arcades.... minimal owner upkeep and while nostalgic, they are pretty run down.
The hotels 5 miles away in Meredith make it very hard for a hotel in the Weirs to be viable.
So what can the Weirs do different from Meredith and still attract people. My answer is the same that made the Weirs famous in the first place... Nightlife. Bars, restaurants, music venues. Give people a reason to come here. Relax the rules a little, let people walk around with liquor or beer (in plastic of course). Let the venues have outside music past 10:00pm. Maybe bend the rules so the Baldis or someone else can rebuild on the old Saloon footprint. Tax breaks to the property owners that do substantial upgrades to their properties... etc etc.
Woodsy
|
Woodsy,
While these points are very good observations, it still doesn't really address what can be done in terms of turning around the area. As indicated before, there needs to be long range planning and identifying a certain goals they want to attain. For example, just going on the city's website, their master plan is dated 2007, which is 7 years old already and very much outdated. One thing they can do, and there is state and/or Federal money available is to do streetscaping (trees, median strip and etc). Allow street vendors along the boulevard, and have licenses available annually. Again these are not earth changing moves, but it will allow for a better experience during the summer months. Partner with local area institutions to do a "Weirs Weekend" and etc - Discounts at local eateries and etc. Again this is where the city and local leaders are failing... Being reactive rather than pro-active.
It's a shame I live and work in Boston - as I would LOVE to get involved in the planning and restoration of a great lakeside draw.