Restaurants, shops and condos replace charred remains in Hampton

HAMPTON – The burned-out building at the corner of High Street and Ocean Boulevard could be replaced by a new five-story building with retail space, a restaurant and oceanfront residential units.

The single-story building at 931 Ocean Blvd. once housed Cinnamon Rainbows Surf Co., North Beach Bar and Grill and the Secret Spot, which served smoothies, snacks and acai bowls. A fire in August 2022 destroyed the building, and now its owners, Barn Realty Inc., have filed an application with the city’s planning board to build a new building on the oceanfront property.

The project would include a total of four retail stores and a restaurant, according to plans filed with the city’s Department of Planning. It would include six residential units with terraces.

Barn Realty is requesting five variances, three of which relate to parking and the other two to height and density. The proposed building is 7 feet, 6 inches taller than the permitted height of 50 feet. Units in the Business Seasonal Zone must be a minimum of 2,500 square feet, while the application calls for 2,021.

The zone requires two parking spaces per residential unit and some parking for retail and restaurant use. The project calls for 1.5 parking spaces for each residential unit and none for other uses. The property is located near the city’s municipal parking lot and the New Hampshire State Parks parking lot.

The project is scheduled to go before the Planning Board on June 20. Given the property’s previous use for a restaurant and retail space, the owners argued in their complaint that granting the variances would represent the most appropriate use of the property.

“The demolition of the existing charred facilities on the property and the construction of a new state-of-the-art building will increase the value of the surrounding properties,” Barn Realty’s application states.

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New 5-story building would replace existing structure

The building that burned is described in Barn Realty’s filing as a one-story, multi-unit commercial building with condominiums built around 1970. The owners say it is a roughly triangular lot with no driveway or parking areas. The filing describes the property as an “unsightly older one-story, multi-unit building in poor condition.”

The new building will have three commercial spaces on the ground floor, while another store and a restaurant will be on the second floor, according to planning authority documents. The third, fourth and fifth floors will have two three-bedroom residential units.

The application states that the project would not impact the views of surrounding properties. It says that three developments have already blocked the Atlantic Ocean view through the existing property – Ocean Crest Condominiums, Bailey’s Beach Resort and the 935 Ocean Inn. The application states that the views of all other nearby properties would not be blocked by the new construction.

They said the height of the building made it less of an obstruction.

“The fact that the building in question will be a five-story building, while it will be taller than a three- or four-story building, is unlikely to cause a major impact on the ocean view given the surrounding developments,” the filing states.

The development would include a newly paved driveway from the High Street leading to the rear of the building where parking, delivery facilities and communal areas are available. The current layout, which has no driveway or on-site parking, results in delivery vehicles driving and parking in areas which are on adjacent properties. The new development would eliminate this unauthorised use and increase the attractiveness of these neighbouring properties.

“It is concluded that the proposed use as a five-story mixed-use building would only enhance the neighborhood,” the filing states, “and would have an overall positive impact on surrounding developments.”

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Former tenants are excited about the opportunity to return to 931 Ocean Blvd.

Some of those who operated businesses in the destroyed building say they hope to return as tenants if the project is approved and construction begins. Cinnamon Rainbows and Secret Spot have both been operating in what they described as temporary spaces since the fire.

Jon Gozzo, the owner of Secret Spot, will reopen his acai and smoothie shop 250 feet west of the property in late June. He said he may have to keep both shops open if he gets the chance to return to that location, but he believes this is Secret Spot’s true home.

“If they open a retail store downstairs and there’s room for me, I’d love to be back on the corner,” Gozzo said.

Heather Day, who co-owns Cinnamon Rainbows with longtime Hampton surfer Dave Cropper, said they’ve enjoyed their spot on Route 1 in North Hampton since moving there last year. However, rentals and lessons are more difficult far from the beach. She said they intend to return to the beach when a new building with retail shops comes up.

Day said community members and customers also look forward to replacing the burned building as a benefit to the neighborhood.

“We belong on the beach and I know our customers and the people of town are thrilled to see this eyesore finally come down,” Day said. “Everyone can’t wait.”

This article originally appeared in the Portsmouth Herald: New restaurant, retail store, condos eyed at 931 Ocean Blvd. in North Beach