Hampton Beach $12M Facelift Underway

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By John Deming, Atlantic News Staff Writer

Atlantic News, Thursday, November 11, 2004

[The following article is courtesy of Atlantic News
Hampton Town Manager James Barrington speaks at the groundbreaking ceremony for the $12 million Hampton Beach Infrastructure Improvement Project

HAMPTON — Hold on to your construction helmets: Hampton Beach's $12 million facelift has begun.

"We're excited to be getting started. It'll look really good," Town Manager James Barrington said at Saturday morning's groundbreaking ceremony (photo at left). "It will make Hampton better for all of us."

The project has been "two years in the planning and will take two years of actual construction," according to Barrington.

The project will include work on sewers, drainage systems, roadways and sidewalks, among other improvements.

Residents can get a look at these improvements at www.dighampton.com, where photo simulations show various parts of town as they stand now, and as they are expected to look once renovations are completed.

"Realizing that the beach area had unrealized potential that could provide great economic value, the town saw the need to develop a comprehensive program of improvements for Hampton Beach," reads the Web site.

The job of engineering the project went to Fay, Spofford and Thorndike of Bedford. The contractor is R. Zoppo Corporation of Soughton, Massachusetts.

Emile Hamwey, president of Fay, Spofford, and Thorndike, spoke at the ceremony and said the company —celebrating its 90th anniversary this year — is "nothing but proud" to take on the town's project.

"We know that your community is looking forward to the revitalization of Hampton Beach to be like it was 90 or 100 years ago," he said.

David Zoppo of Zoppo Corporation also spoke at the event.

"We're just thrilled, because I think this is a very special process," Zoppo said.

AND SO IT BEGINS — Groundbreaking ceremonies for the Hampton Beach infrastructure project [Atlantic News Photo by John Deming]

The ceremony was also attended by three of the town's selectmen, Cliff Pratt, Jim Workman and William "Skip" Sullivan.

Work on the project will begin with "real live equipment" during the week of November 15, according to Zoppo, and is expected to be completed in Spring 2006.

A major portion of the project will be revamping sewer systems. According to the Web site, the current sewer system "lacks the necessary capacity to handle redevelopment projects activities proposed by the Hampton Beach Master Plan. In addition, the drainage system is unable to handle the extensive development that has already occurred, resulting in localized flooding."

According to Barrington, R. Zoppo Corp. and Fay, Spofford & Thorndike will work from on-site offices on Church Street.

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