The Economic Development Office assists businesses with expansion and relocation needs, planning development or redevelopment projects, finding suitable sites, obtaining financing, identifying business assistance and incentive programs, and with other business and development related needs. The office works to attract and retain commercial business in Manchester.
The office was previously known as the Manchester Industrial Council and later as the Manchester Development Corporation. Records and collections of those entities are included on this page.
Collections
This collection documents the efforts of the City of Manchester, especially the actions taken by the Manchester Industrial Council and the Manchester Housing Authority, to redevelop and renew the properties where the Amoskeag Millyards were located in Manchester, NH mostly along the Merrimack River. The Amoskeag Millyard Renewal Project included plans to tear down structures in the millyard, to renovate existing structures, to construct new buildings, to widen Commercial Street and Canal Street, and other related activities; the goal was to develop the Amoskeag Millyard property for commercial use for economic and financial reasons. The redevelopment of the Amoskeag Millyards was part of a larger overall plan for the City, which encompassed a large scale urban renewal. This overall plan was known by many names, including: Urban Renewal Plan or Project and the Central District General Neighborhood Renewal Plan Project.
The Manchester Industrial Council's Economic Development Projects are varied in scope. The records were created by or received by the council during the course of business, and document its efforts in attempting to bring businesses and other entities to the City during the 1950s-1980s. In this collection, there is often no final disposition documentation for many of the council’s efforts.
Grenier Field Airport Project Collection, 1942-1996 (0609.003)
The Manchester Industrial Council records for the development of Grenier Field Airport consist of five cubic feet of correspondence, maps, land leases and transfer agreements, newspaper clippings, daily reports and action logs, and site plans.
Manchester Industrial Council Meeting Minutes & Supporting Documents, 1950-1977 (0609.005)
The Manchester Industrial Council met to discuss upcoming developments in trying to attract businesses and industries to locate in Manchester. The collection consists of meeting minutes and supporting documentation.
Manchester Industrial Council Newspaper Clippings, 1953-1990 (0609.006)
This collection consists entirely of clipped newspaper articles regarding economic developments, projects, and overall progress of the City of Manchester, although some articles are focused on New Hampshire, New England, or the United States in general. The articles are mostly from the Manchester Union Leader, and were collected by the staff of the Manchester Industrial Council.
Articles cover various economic topics, including, but not limited to: the Manchester Industrial Council, the shoe and textile industry, Grenier Field Air Force Base, flood control, Hooksett Industrial Park, the Mondev Civic Center, and Downtown Revitalization.
MEDO's project files document the office's involvement with various economic development initiatives focusing on physical properties and real estate in Manchester, such as the following projects: Bridge and Elm Street; the Civic Center building; Hackett Hill; Riverside Development and Baseball Stadium; Riverfront Development Gill Stadium; Rubenstein Property; University Center Building; University Center Associates; and Wall Street Tower Property.