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Nick Golon Reflects in New England Real Estate Journal’s Year in Review 2023

New England Real Estate Journal‘s December 30 issue features a Year in Review Spotlight, with input from numerous professionals across the Real Estate industry. Principal and Civil Department Manager Nick Golon gave his thoughts on the year with insight into his accomplishments and career in 2023.

What was your greatest professional accomplishment or most notable project, deal, or transaction of 2023? TFM partnered with Unitil and ReVision Energy in the development of the Kingston PV Facility, planned for construction in early 2024 pending final permit approvals. This 5-megawatt solar array would be one of the largest solar facilities in the state that’s currently in operation.

What emerging trends will drive investment and development in 2024?
Solar power has become the fastest-growing electricity source in the United States, representing more than 50% of generation projects that were planned for 2023. New Hampshire’s growth in solar energy is part of a larger national trend towards renewable energy, indicating the increasing importance of sustainable energy in the United States.

See more professionals’ Year in Review here.

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Merchants Way Featured as Top Project of 2023 by NEREJ

TFMoran project Merchants Way was recently featured in the December issue of New England Real Estate Journal (NEREJ) as one of the “2023 Top Projects”, after being featured as “Project of the Month” in the February issue.

TFMoran engineers worked with Interchange Development, LLC to design and permit Merchants Way, a 200,000sf multi-phase mixed-use development on Whitney Road at I 93 Exit 17. TFMoran’s services included master planning, civil/site engineering, traffic engineering, permitting, and landscape architecture.

TFMoran is proud to be a part of the team. See an excerpt from the article below.

Concord, NH Interchange Development LLC has completed the first phase of Merchants Way, a new Market Basket anchored shopping center located adjacent to I-93 at Exit 17 in the Penacook area of the city. Phase I of the 43 acre Merchants Way development includes a new 81,000 s/f Market Basket supermarket, 22,000 s/f attached HomeGoods retail space, a 13,500 s/f New Hampshire Liquor & Wine Outlet, and a 2,200 s/f Wendy’s Restaurant. The buildings were constructed in 2021 and 2022 along with two private roads, Merchants Way and Interchange Dr., which connect to Whitney Rod. and Rte. 4 next to I-93. The Merchants Way development complements the previously constructed Xtramart/Mobil convenience store with Dunkins and drive thru at Exit 17.

Interchange Development LLC Completes Phase One Construction of Merchants Way in Concord, NH
New England Real Estate Journal
February 17, 2023

Continue reading the article here.

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NEREJ Project of the Month: Merchants Way

TFMoran engineers worked with Interchange Development, LLC to design and permit Merchants Way, a 200,000sf multi-phase mixed-use development on Whitney Road at I 93 Exit 17. TFMoran’s services included master planning, civil/site engineering, traffic engineering, permitting, and landscape architecture.

With phase I recently completed, the project is featured as Project of the Month in New England Real Estate Journal‘s February 2023 issue. See the full article on NEREJ or continue reading below.

Project of the Month: Interchange Development LLC Completes Phase I Construction of Merchants Way in Concord, NH

Published February 17, 2023 by New England Real Estate Journal

Interchange Development LLC has completed the first phase of Merchants Way, a new Market Basket anchored shopping center located adjacent to I-93 at Exit 17 in the Penacook area of the city. Phase 1 of the 43 acre Merchants Way development includes a new 81,000 s/f Market Basket supermarket, 22,000 s/f attached HomeGoods retail space, a 13,500 s/f New Hampshire Liquor & Wine Outlet, and a 2,200 s/f Wendy’s Restaurant. The buildings were constructed in 2021 and 2022 along with two private roads, Merchants Way and Interchange Dr., which connect to Whitney Rd. and Rte. 4 next to I-93. The Merchants Way development complements the previously constructed Xtramart/Mobil convenience store with Dunkins and drive thru at Exit 17. 

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COO Dylan Cruess in New England Real Estate Journal’s “2023 Forecast Spotlight”

TFMoran COO Dylan Cruess shared his point of view on recent industry trends in The New England Real Estate Journal‘s “2023 Forecast Spotlight“. The January 27 issue features 17 professionals in Construction and Real Estate, giving their predictions on what the upcoming year may bring for the industry.

It seems that our geographic area is in a positive economic cycle.  There is an influx of manufacturing and other businesses looking to locate to New Hampshire and Northern Massachusetts.

Dylan Cruess

To read Dylan’s full forecast article, click here or continue reading below.


New England Real Estate Journal 2023 Forecast Spotlight

Cautiously Optimistic for 2023 Despite Economic Headwinds

By Dylan Cruess

Forecasting the future is always difficult, but trying to predict how the real estate, construction, and engineering industries will perform in 2023 seems like a coin flip.  On the negative side, there are many economic headwinds, including inflation, rising interest rates, supply chain delays, and unpredictable permitting schedules, that logically should slow down demand for new construction and development projects.  On the positive side, there is still a fundamental shortage of housing options and a growing demand for manufacturing and industrial space that continues to propel the construction and engineering industry forward.  How these negative and positive factors interact will determine the direction of our industries in the year ahead.

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Nick Golon Reflects on the Year in NEREJ’s Review Spotlight

New England Real Estate Journal‘s December 30 issue features a Year in Review Spotlight, with input from numerous professionals across the Real Estate industry. Principal and Civil Department Manager Nick Golon gave his thoughts on the year with insight into his accomplishments and career in 2022.

What was your most important professional accomplishment or most notable project, deal, or transaction in 2022?
After over a year and a half to secure permits, the Granite Woods Commerce Center adjacent to exit 11 on I-93 in Hooksett, N.H. broke ground in the fall of 2022. This state-of-the-art 500,000 s/f class A warehouse required us to solve immensely complicated permitting and infrastructure challenges. As a result of this project, essential municipal water and sewer services are being extended, over 400 acres of permanent conservation land was secured, and much-needed industrial space will be delivered to the Southern N.H. market.

How has your career path changed in 2022?
After being welcomed in to the TFMoran ownership team in 2020, at the end of 2022, I transitioned to the role of civil department manager with Jeff Kevan’s retirement after nearly 30 years of service with TFM. Having the opportunity to play an integral role in the direction of a company with a successful track record of providing outstanding engineering services in our industry for over 50 years is exactly where I want to be in my career!

See Nick’s full Q&A here!

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Dylan Cruess Featured in NEREJ Industry Leaders Spotlight

New England Real Estate Journal’s May 27th issue features an Industry Leaders Spotlight with 11 professionals from numerous industries, including TFMoran’s Chief Operating Officer, Dylan Cruess. Dylan gives his perspective on how the first half of 2022 is going in the engineering field. Check out the full article here or continue reading below.


Despite Economic Challenges, Development Remains Resilient

New England Real Estate Journal
Industry Leaders Spotlight – Engineer

This has been quite a year thus far!  I started my article off last year with the exact same sentiment.  Many of the same growth factors and uncertainties from last year are still present now.  Despite many economic challenges we are experiencing, including the continued rise of construction costs, the availability of building materials, and now rising interest rates, development in Southern New Hampshire and Northern Massachusetts remains incredibly strong and resilient. The pent-up demand from not building during the height of the pandemic, changing consumer demand for housing and entertainment, and the large amount of private and public capital available in the market has fueled new developments in just about every sector. 

Over the past few years, New Hampshire has seen a huge in-migration of the population as people have moved out of major cities seeking a more rural or suburban lifestyle.  This in-migration population has caused the demand for housing and other services to increase, which in turn has led to a huge increase in new multifamily and single-family housing developments throughout the southern part of the state and the upper valley.  Northern New Hampshire has also seen an incredible increase in demand as people are purchasing second homes.  Along with increased housing demand, we are seeing rapidly rising housing and rent prices which are leading to an affordability crisis for many people.  In New Hampshire, there is a very strong push for affordable housing projects and there are many available sources of public funding to help with the economic viability of having below-market rental rates.

Another sector that we continue to see very strong demand for in New Hampshire is warehouse and manufacturing projects.  International supply chain problems have led to a noticeable trend of companies bringing their distribution, product storage, and even their manufacturing back to the United States, and more specifically New Hampshire.  We are seeing new facilities being proposed across many different sectors including aerospace, defense, construction materials, and food processing, among others.  Warehouse and manufacturing projects often require infrastructure improvements such as increased electric capacity or the availability of municipal water and sewer. These requirements may limit where facilities can be located, resulting in projects concentrated around the suburbs close to larger municipalities that already have the necessary infrastructure in place.

From a design and permitting point of view, one of the largest challenges we are seeing to development projects moving forward is the unpredictable length of time it will take to obtain all the necessary permits.  We are often asked by our clients how long it will take to go through the permitting process so they can set timeframes in their Purchase and Sale Agreements or plan for construction. With new environmental regulations for wetlands impacts and stormwater runoff requirements, we are often unable to give a definitive timeline for permits.  We have been recommending to our clients that they substantially increase the time for permitting or have multiple extension provisions in their contracts with Sellers to mitigate the impact of permitting delays. 

In conclusion, even with the many economic uncertainties the economy is facing including inflation, rising interest rates, and supply chain disruptions for construction materials, we continue to see very strong activity for development projects going forward across many different sectors of the economy.  The demand for new housing, warehouses, manufacturing facilities, and other projects continues to be greater than the uncertainties and challenges that developers are facing when considering new projects.  Hopefully, this trend continues through all of 2022 and beyond!  

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Robert Duval’s 2022 Forecast Spotlight Published in New England Real Estate Journal

New England Real Estate Journal’s January 29th issue features a Forecast Spotlight with 17 professionals from numerous industries, including TFMoran President, Robert Duval. Bob gives his perspective on how the construction industry has been reinventing itself over the past few decades.

More and more, the construction industry needs people with training in digital controls and software engineering that was once exclusive to the electronics industry. These new design and construction jobs demand more skill and training than ever. Trade schools and community colleges across the country need to recognize this education gap and offer more relevance in their training programs so that young people get the training they need to become a productive part of the construction industry. When they see that construction careers can be as creative and rewarding as any other industry, we will start to see some progress in the skilled labor market.

Robert Duval

To read Bob’s full forecast spotlight article, click this pdf link or continue reading below.

2022 Forecast Spotlight

The construction industry has quietly been reinventing itself over the past few decades

Labor shortages, rising prices, and regulatory delays. No sector of the economy seems to be immune to these problems, although the construction sector seems to be among the hardest hit. “When will things return to normal” is no longer the question – the new normal is all around us. Although these problems may have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, they began long before January 2020.

Many of us in the construction industry have been concerned for years about the shortage of young people choosing careers in the design professions and construction trades. In part, this is because young people have been turning away from careers in the construction industry, which many see as less glamourous and less rewarding than careers in the medical and high-tech industries.

However, the construction industry has been quietly reinventing itself over the past few decades, moving away from hand tools to automation and prefabrication. Today, blueprints are replaced by virtual 3D models. These digital models are fed into automated fabrication shops that measure, cut and assemble parts that may never be touched by human hands until they reach the job site. And at the jobsite, buildings can now be erected by giant “3D printers” as the technological challenges are solved one by one. Even the bulldozers almost run themselves as they move tons of earth across a site with on-board computers that make adjustments automatically to the contours dictated by a 3D site model.

More and more, the construction industry needs people with training in digital controls and software engineering that was once exclusive to the electronic industry. These new design and construction jobs demand more skill and training than ever. Trade schools and community colleges across the country need to recognize this education gap and offer more relevance in their training programs so that young people get the training they need to become a productive part of the construction industry. When they see that construction careers can be as creating and rewarding as any other industry, we will start to see some progress in the skilled labor market.

We have all seen regulatory delays increasing for many years now due to the expanding scope and complexity of environmental regulation. Driving the many new and expanded rules are heightened concerns over threatened species, plants as well as animals, even in densely developed areas. Concerns over migratory birds, for example, attach to extremely wide regions. These considerations can affect timeframes for certain activities, require protective radii around certain habitats, and impose other significant restrictions.

There is also a new emphasis on historic structures, potentially including any structure over fifty years old, and potential archeological sites, now considered almost any site near a waterbody or other landscape that may have attracted early settlements. Much attention has been paid recently to “emerging contaminants”. This includes traces of chemicals at levels that would have been undetectable even a few years ago, but are now established as regulatory limits.

These and other similar concerns are being raised at a pace that outstrips the ability of the administrative rule process to keep up. The result has been an increasing subjectivity, lack of clarity, and a dramatic stretching-out of the review process in the last few years.

So how do we manage project delivery times and costs in the face of these challenges? It beings with the understanding that projects cannot be addressed the same old way. It takes a team of experts who know their way through the regulatory jungle; who understand the high-tech nature of today’s construction. Above all, it takes careful preparation, flexible scheduling, and the ability to react quickly and effectively to this changing world.

Robert Duval, PE, LEED AP, is president/chief engineer of TFMoran, Bedford and Portsmouth, NH.

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NEREJ Project of the Month: Nashawtuc Country Club

TFMoran Structural Engineers worked with Maugel Architects and Dellbrook | JKS to complete a 55,000 s/f clubhouse renovation at Nashawtuc Country Club. The recently completed project located in Concord, Massachusetts, is featured as Project of the Month in New England Real Estate Journal’s December 2021 issue.

“Special attention was given to improving clubhouse circulation by creating clear and distinct paths for visitors and members. Public and private event spaces were strategically arranged to connect to essential food service areas while providing privacy for member-only areas.”

Maugel Architects

Prior to the renovation, food service supplies and preparation areas were located on separate levels. The newly centralized kitchen was designed with staff efficiency and member experience in mind. In addition to new food service and dining areas, the renovations included a 3,500 s/f fitness center and a 1,000 s/f fitness studio set to offer a variety of classes.

The project team also included CSL Consulting and Precision Fitness Equipment.

Check out the full article.

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New England Real Estate Journal names two TFMoran projects as “2021 New England Top Projects in Construction, Design & Engineering”

Bio-Techne Corporation in Devens, MA and NH SportsDome In Hooksett, NH were recently featured in the December issue of New England Real Estate Journal (NEREJ) as “New England Top Projects in Construction, Design & Engineering”. TFMoran is proud to be a part of two project teams in providing engineering design services.

Bio-Techne Corporation – Devens, MA

TFMoran provided structural engineering design and construction administration services for a 26,000sf addition to the corporate headquarters of Bio-Techne Corporation located in Devens, MA. The new single-story addition provides a combination of manufacturing and warehouse space for the life sciences company.  TFMoran worked with project architect Maugel Architects and construction manager Connolly Brothers to provide the new space broken into three areas: an extended shipping area, storage and warehouse, and manufacturing.  Two new interior mezzanines were provided, one each in the warehouse and manufacturing areas respectively. Existing gas and fiber-optic utilities within the construction footprint required a custom foundation to allow for continuous operation of the utilities during construction.

The main structure was constructed with a combination of exterior wall types including cold-formed steel studs with masonry veneer and insulated metal panel exterior.  The addition is constructed with a structural steel frame. Lateral systems consist of HSS steel chevron braces.  Both mezzanines are constructed of concrete on a composite steel deck supported by open web steel joists.  The warehouse mezzanine is supported by load-bearing concrete masonry shear walls.  The manufacturing mezzanine is supported by structural steel moment frames.

This project was also featured as New England Real Estate Journal‘s “Project of the Month” in February 2021. Check out the full story here.

NH SportsDome – Hooksett, NH

TFMoran provided survey, site/civil design, structural design, local, state, and federal permitting, landscape architecture, traffic engineering, and construction phase services for the NH SportsDome, located in Hooksett, New Hampshire. The indoor sports field is used by both youth-based sports teams and adult teams for turf sports such as soccer, field hockey, baseball, softball, lacrosse, football, etc.  The “dome” structure was inflated on January 9th and measures approximately 80,500sf and encloses one (110-yard by 70-yard) turf field with the ability to split the field into two smaller training fields available for use year-round.

 The Farley Group provided the air-supported dome structure. Capital Construction, LLC was the General Contractor. Severino Trucking Co., Inc. was the Site Contractor. The facility opened in February 2021.

This project was also featured as “Project of the Month” in April 2021. Check out the full story here.

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Dylan Cruess’ Mid-Year Engineering Review published in New England Real Estate Journal

New England Real Estate Journal’s July 30th issue features a Mid-Year Review Spotlight with 18 professionals from numerous industries, including TFMoran’s Chief Operating Officer, Dylan Cruess. Dylan gives his perspective on how the first half of 2021 is going in the engineering field. The good news is “So far in 2021 the positive factors outweigh the economic uncertainties.”  Dylan writes about challenges of the rising costs of construction materials and supply delays that our clients are facing in their development projects, along with more strict environmental regulations, plus approval and permitting delays. Additionally, there is a high demand for new construction of affordable multi-family housing and warehouse distribution facilities, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Overall, the first half of 2021 has been strong despite these uncertainties and many of TFMoran’s clients are optimistic about the future. The engineering and construction industries are as busy as ever.

To read Dylan’s full mid-year review article, click this pdf link NEREJ Mid-Year Review Spotlight 2021

New England Real Estate Journal
Mid-Year Review Spotlight – Engineer

So far in 2021 the positive factors outweigh the economic uncertainties.

This has been quite a year so far! Many aspects about the economy seem counterintuitive and unpredictable thus far which historically should cause a reduction in new development projects, but my firm, and the construction industry as a whole, are as busy as ever. Continue Reading →