Written in Granite: NH won’t spring for former college property

The burn! And then, the pile-on …

Some Nashua city officials are not pleased with Statehouse lawmakers in Concord these days and are letting ’em have an earful.

It all began last week, after Nashua Mayor Jim Donchess returned to the Gate City from making an unsuccessful appeal to the Senate Finance Committee about the former Daniel Webster College property.

The 53-acre site was bought by Chinese investors in 2017 at a bankruptcy auction for nearly $12 million and has remained mostly unused for about nine years now.

Why the city of Nashua didn’t aggressively pursue the purchase back then may prove to be poor foresight. Now, we’re in an awkward position.

The charming former college campus sits mere yards away from Boire Field, the city’s airport, near Nashua’s Pennichuck water supply, a few miles from defense contractor BAE Systems, 15 miles from the New Boston Space Force Station and 25 miles from Hanscom Air Force Base.

For many citizens, that’s too close for comfort.

It was this particular property that spurred state legislators to pass a law last year, barring certain foreign entities, such as China, from purchasing and controlling property in the Granite State.

Donchess appeared before the committee with state Sen. Cindy Rosenwald, D-Nashua, (District 13) to seek $20 million from the state to enable the city to purchase the former college campus.

The mayor would like to see a majority of the property developed for housing.

“There’s a less than 1% vacancy rate for apartments here, and the value of single-family homes has skyrocketed,” Donchess says.

Senate Republicans heard the message but weren’t buying it.

State Senate Majority Leader Regina Birdsell, R-Derry, wasn’t at the hearing but had some tough love for Nashua, saying, “I don’t think the state should be asking the rest of New Hampshire residents to pay for this.”

Birdsell blames Nashua City Hall for selling the property to foreign entities in the first place.

Donchess, a popular Democrat, had some choice words for Birdsell, whose ears are probably still ringing.

“Does a state senator who represents New Hampshire really think that Nashua City Hall could block a sale in the private market and that we approve these sales? The idea that Nashua City Hall lets foreign adversaries buy up its land? Is she that ignorant?” Donchess said.

Nashua Alderman Michael O’Brien Sr. sided with Mayor Donchess. The retired Nashua Fire Rescue deputy chief also served 16 years as a state representative, and the prominent Democrat knows how the game is played in Concord.

“Every single Keno ticket that is sold in Nashua, to communities that don’t sell Keno tickets, they go up there with their bucket, and the state fills their bucket. It would be nice if every Keno ticket sold here would come right back to us in Nashua. It doesn’t; we pay for everybody else. So here’s an opportunity for the state of New Hampshire to help out its No. 1 generator in revenue. About 75% of the income generated for the state comes from the Greater Nashua area.”

O’Brien wasn’t done with his speech, adding, “It’s shameful for the way that they treat us (Nashua), and people need to pay attention when we have these state elections because there are a lot of things that don’t benefit us. … We plow state roads. Do you ever see a state plow going down Route 130 in Nashua? You will not. Maybe we should demand a little bit more from the Big Boys up in Concord!”

Ouch.