Project Background
Development on Hampton Beach began over a century ago to support public demand to be near and enjoy the waters of the New Hampshire coast. In 1897 the Hampton Beach Improvement Company began to control the direction of development through a 99-year land lease. As the beach became more popular with tourists and locals alike and with the advent of the automobile in the 1900’s, the HBIC and sources of revenue could no longer keep pace with the need to support the infrastructure and public facilities at Hampton Beach.
During the Great Depression, the State of New Hampshire stepped in to take financial control and turned the beach into a state park facility. Even with the many improvements made to enhance the recreational opportunities and safety in the park during this time, the image of the Beach began to decline as the tourism market shifted from extended vacations to day trips. The HBIC land lease expired in 1997 and the Town of Hampton and related authorities, including the state, are now stewards of the developed areas of the Beach through their decisions on land use, environmental regulations and local infrastructure.
Planning for the Future
There continues to be a need for the Town and the State to coordinate policies and actions to create a more positive future for Hampton Beach. The Hampton Beach Master Plan completed in 2001 outlines the benefits to redevelopment including revitalization of the public face of Hampton Beach and providing for similar enhancement in private and commercial property along the beach. Part of the revitalization includes reducing the central congestion in the park by distributing use and public facilities along the entire beach, incorporating the under utilized north and south ends.
Goals of Redevelopment
One of the foremost goals for the Division of Parks and Recreation and the Office of Planning and Development in regard to the master plan is the revitalization of the public face of Hampton Beach. It is predicted that that public investment will spur equal renewal and enhancements for private and commercial property along the beach. This goal will be reached by spreading the public facilities out from the Seashell complex to the entire beach, to include the under-utilized north and south ends, in order to cut down on central congestion and crowding. Another goal for this project is to reserve prime beachfront property for functions directly related to the public’s use and enjoyment of the beach. Support functions for the State will be redirected to areas of the park in less demand for public recreation. The final goal is to create a distinctive look for the State Park facilities at Hampton Beach. The facilities should be immediately recognizable as part of the State Park and should contribute to the fresh new appearance for Hampton Beach that the redevelopment seeks to promote.
Proposed Design and Development
The Division of Parks and Recreation contracted with the architectural firm of Samyn-D’Elia to complete a feasibility study for the redevelopment of the public facilities at Hampton Beach State Park, most notably the Hampton Seashell complex. The study includes preliminary designs for buildings, landscape and public space improvements, a cost estimate and report on the economic impact of these improvements in terms of the state and local economy. The feasibility study is complete and the project was proposed by the division for capital funding in the 2010-2011 biennial budget. The 2010-2011 biennial legislative session is in progress with final funding decisions expected in June 2009.
December 2008 Goss Report on Impact of Proposed Project 
Public Meetings
When printing these pdf sketches, scale the document to fit the page size, as the original document format is oversize (30x40)
Haverhill Street with Elevation
Seashell Stage Complex
Marine Memorial with Elevation
Seashell Site with Elevation
South Beach with Elevation
March 5 Meeting Agenda
March 5 Design Workshop Presentation
March 5, 2008 Workshop Notes