NASHUA, N.H. – On Tuesday, onlookers bid a final farewell to the old Alec’s Shoes building on Main Street, the latest step in the construction of the Nashua Performing Arts Center.
Following the first feasibility study for the building in 2002, the Performing Arts Center is scheduled to open its doors in mid-summer 2022. According to Nashua Community Arts President Rich Lannan, it will take approximately one month to completely remove debris from the site. Lannan expected this day to have more onlookers prior to the pandemic, but says that COVID-19 hasn’t delayed the construction schedule.
“Seeing the whole transformation of Main Street through one building, it’s exciting,” he said. “I expected people to line up along the street, but we have to do this a little differently due to the pandemic. Other than that, this is exactly what I was hoping for.”
Nashua Mayor Jim Donchess said that new performing arts center will help nearby businesses. He also believes it will help the city’s tax base, citing a developer looking at building a new 150-unit housing complex that was triggered by the performing arts center.
“It’s a big day, we’ve been working toward this for several years,” said Donchess. “A lot of people are very excited. We want to build a stronger economy and by bringing tens of thousands of people downtown every year, the performing arts center will help accomplish that.”
More information on the building can be found on the Nashua Community Arts website.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hsuEs7JkICg]
