The Amoskeag Manufacturing Company was a 19th and early 20th Century textile manufacturer that built a massive mill complex in Manchester, NH. By the end of the 1940s, the company had closed, leaving behind many buildings unfit for modern manufacturing. A 1966 plan called for partial demolition and partial rehabilitation of the complex. In the early 1980s, they attracted private investor attention, notably by inventor Dean Kamen for some of his commercial operations. Development continued in the 1990s, in large part due to purchases made by the City then deeded to private developers and other forms of subsidy. The complex is now home to offices, restaurants, apartments, colleges and universities, art studios, a museum, and research and development space for technology companies. The Millyard has added over 500 housing units, with developers expressing continued interest in residential as the local jobs market thrives. There were many factors that contributed to this success, but ones that were critical include infrastructure improvements, environmental remediation funds, the introduction of mixed-use zoning, public/private partnerships, and marketing efforts.

• Hastings and Trumball, “Mill District: Factors Contributing to Success in Manchester, NH”
• New York Times, “A Millyard Transitions From Textiles to Tech” (March 14, 2017)
• Business NH Magazine, “Turning Mills Into Economic Engines” (July 6, 2015)
• Politico Magazine, “How a 19th-Century Town Became a New Millennium Marvel” (February 18, 2016)