Reimagining the Waterfront: The Birth of a Redevelopment Strategy

In this episode of the Dover Download podcast, Deputy City Manager Christopher Parker chats with George Maglaras in the third installment of their series on the history of the Cochecho River. This episode focuses on the beginnings of waterfront redevelopment in Dover during the 1980s.

Maglaras discusses how the mills were struggling by the 1980s, with many upper floors abandoned, and how the city had repeatedly owned and sold various mill properties through bankruptcy cycles. As a planning board member, he worked with Tim Sheldon to create the Urban Mixed Use (UMU) district, transforming the waterfront from restrictive industrial zoning to encourage mixed-use development and private investment.

The conversation reveals how outdated zoning requirements made development nearly impossible, with tiny lots requiring massive minimum square footage for industrial buildings. Maglaras describes the vision of converting mill buildings into mixed-use spaces with residential units on upper floors, similar to successful projects in other former mill towns.

The episode also covers some dramatic alternatives that were considered, including a shocking plan to fill in the Cochecho River with a culvert system and create a sewage lagoon at the Upper Narrows. Maglaras explains how his father and other thoughtful citizens fought against these environmentally destructive proposals.

The discussion touches on the area's rich commercial history, including shipyards, beaches, and general stores that relied on river commerce, as well as the federal dredging projects that supported Dover's economy from the 1830s through 1906.