Building Partnerships: How Dover Makes Public-Private Partnerships Work

In this episode of the Dover Download podcast, Deputy City Manager Christopher Parker chats with Eric Chinburg and Chad Kageleiry about Dover's use of public-private partnerships (PPPs) as an economic development tool. Both developers have extensive experience working with the city on various projects over the past decade.

Eric Chinburg, who owns and operates several historic mill properties, including the Washington Street Mills and Cocheco Mills, discusses the former Strafford County Courthouse redevelopment project. Using New Hampshire's RSA 79E statute, the city provided tax relief incentives to make the historic preservation economically viable, while Chinburg contributed 20% affordable housing units and helped establish a Community Trail easement.

Chad Kageleiry, a Dover native who operates Summit Land Development, explains his work on the Stonewall Drive Industrial Park project. Rather than the city taking on upfront costs and risks to develop industrial land, Kageleiry built the necessary infrastructure and was reimbursed by the city. The project also included recreational components, creating multi-use athletic fields.

Both developers emphasize that Dover's collaborative approach makes these partnerships successful. The city's "open for business" mentality, combined with trusted relationships and creative problem-solving, allows projects to move forward that might otherwise be economically unfeasible. Parker notes that successful PPPs require mutual trust and shared goals, with the city, developer, and public all benefiting from the arrangement.

In This Week in Dover History, we learn about Dover firefighters' 1911 response to a wildfire threatening York Beach, Maine, when they loaded their steamer and hose wagon onto a special train to help battle the blaze alongside sailors from USS Montana and Tennessee.