Nashua’s Board of Aldermen has a tough decision ahead: Save the amazing Keefe Auditorium and build a new residential community around it, or let it go due to the high cost and fundraising required to detach and renovate New Hampshire’s largest auditorium from Elm Street Middle School?
Is it worth it?
On second thought, maybe keeping the Keefe Auditorium “in place” isn’t worth it. Okay, I said it.
I, like many of you, am nostalgic about historic buildings, and this one has “great bones,” an orchestra pit, seating for 1,500 and is ideally located downtown.
The Keefe is also the largest auditorium in New Hampshire. Unfortunately, the iconic performance venue is physically attached to the now-closed Elm Street Middle School building. And therein lies the biggest problem. It would be a pricey architectural amputation and renovation, if you will.
Nashua, like our neighbor Lowell, is in desperate need of affordable housing. The Works Progress Administration structure was built in 1937 and has served as the high school and then a junior high school, and thousands of students (including myself) and many teachers walked through those hallowed halls. City officials believe developers LMG (Lansing Melbourne Group) can create an amazing village area with green space and nearly 300 apartment units on the 9-acre property and keep the auditorium within the planned residential development.
LMG, based in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., initially proposed building 59 affordable units at 60% of the area median income and 215 housing units at market rate with a mix of multifamily units and 22 for-sale townhomes. The plan would also include 400-plus parking spaces.
Disconnecting the auditorium and then renovating it into a modern venue would require up to $34 million. Nashua’s Board of Aldermen will have the final say on whether the city goes ahead, makes the investment and saves the Keefe or reluctantly has the aging auditorium torn down.
The Keefe Auditorium Commission, with Chairman Dennis Schneider at the helm, has done an outstanding job looking at all the available options. But in my humble opinion, perhaps it’s time to let the Keefe go. That’s a tough call, and I’m thankful I’m not an alderman who has to make the decision. The Keefe has been an incredible asset to the city, especially with longtime performances by Symphony New Hampshire and The Actorsingers.
The school property has always presented a beautiful campus layout in my eyes. And if properly constructed, the Gate City could add another gem to its resume with a new housing community in the downtown. The housing construction could take up to two years to complete.
The fairly new Nashua Center for the Arts is about a three-minute drive away; it’s a smaller venue that can seat 750 patrons. Both event centers are unique in what they offer. Fans of keeping the Keefe Auditorium say that its seating capacity could attract higher-profile acts. But fundraising is never easy.
The proposed housing project sits in Ward 4, where Alderman Tom Lopez has concerns before he’d give the green light. Lopez says the housing crisis is unique for many and doesn’t want his residents forgotten about.
“Such as the needs of the elderly who want to phase down but wish to stay in the town they’ve spent their lives in and suddenly find it unaffordable on a fixed income with depreciating assets. Or how about people on a fixed income because of medical or mental health issues or on stipends or any other combinations, who also have different challenges and needs? Or how about young professionals who want to move to Nashua so they can work for a large corporation and experience the amenities our city presents but can’t afford moving here?”
Can Nashua build an affordable residential community around an auditorium? That remains to be seen.
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