LRCD and North Branch Construction break ground on Harriman Hill III

WOLFEBORO ― On Thursday, Oct. 9, Lakes Region Community Developers (LRCD) and North Branch Construction celebrated the groundbreaking for Harriman Hill Phase III in Wolfeboro, which will add 30 new units of affordable rental housing on Beck Drive adjacent to Harriman Hill Phases I & II. The project is scheduled to be complete by July 2026.

The groundbreaking was an important milestone marking the culmination of nearly 15 years of work by Lakes Region Community Developers and Eastern Lakes Region Housing Coalition to fully build out the Harriman Hill development. Phases I & II were constructed in 2012 and 2014, and currently offer 48 rental apartments.

“There were moments when we were not sure if Phase III would happen,” said Carmen Lorentz, LRCD’s executive director. “We are extremely grateful to our partners, funders, and our development team for their commitment to this project. Their support was critical to overcoming the barriers that we encountered in this challenging environment.”

Pre-development work for Phase III began over seven years ago. It was originally intended to comprise 20 single-family homes affordable to first-time buyers, but that plan became infeasible when construction prices rose sharply during the pandemic.

The 30 new rental apartments in Phase III will be a mix of one-, two-, and three-bedrooms targeted to households with a variety of income levels, including five units of supportive housing for people with disabilities.

Harriman Hill III was made possible with financing from TD Bank, NH Housing Finance Authority, Evernorth and the Evernorth Loan Fund, NH Community Development Finance Authority, the Beck Fund, and LRCD.

In addition to North Branch Construction, the development team includes Northpoint Engineering, Stewart Associates Architects, Norway Plains & Associates, and Sheehan Phinney.

“North Branch Construction is proud to continue our longstanding partnership with Lakes Region Community Developers as we work together to build Harriman Hill Phase III in Wolfeboro,” said Joe Campbell, President of North Branch Construction. “Over the years, our collaboration has been rooted in a shared vision of expanding access to affordable housing, and we’re thrilled to once again join forces to bring meaningful, lasting solutions to the communities we serve.”