City Receives Independent Engineering Report on 278 State Street

The City of Portsmouth has received an independent engineering report regarding the property at 276/278 State Street from Jeff Nawrocki of JSN Associates, LLC. This report advises that the property has “extensive damage to the wood framing…to a point beyond repair.” However, “the exterior brick walls do not appear to be an ‘immediate’ safety hazard.” Regarding the closure of the sidewalk and the travel lanes on State and Church Streets, the report continued, “using an abundance of caution as is expected in such a situation, I can only recommend that the safety zone be maintained until the hazard is removed.” The City plans to keep the barricades in place until the situation is resolved.

On Thursday, July 18, 2024 attorneys for the property owner, Peter Floros, filed a request with the Historic District Commission (HDC) for approval to demolish the structure, and a request for a work session with the HDC to review a “conceptual design proposal for the redevelopment of the property with all new construction.” It is likely that this item will appear on the August HDC schedule.