Bank of New Hampshire plans significant renovation to headquarters

LACONIA — Bank of New Hampshire is expecting to begin work in the spring on extensive renovations to the bank's headquarters, including a new look to the Pleasant Street building and changes to its drive through service.

The Laconia Planning Board approved the proposed changes at its meeting Tuesday evening.

As presented, the building’s stucco exterior will be covered over with red brick, and the granite facing on the building’s ground floor will be restored.

The addition of the brick cladding is designed to make the building blend in more with other brick commercial buildings in the downtown business district.

“These improvements are significant aesthetically,” city Planning Director Dean Trefethen told the board.

The lobby for retail banking services will be renovated, with a new entrance installed on the south side of the building.

The glass atrium which was created during the 1991 expansion of the building will be removed and the area used for office space on both the ground and upper two floors.

The existing drive-up building will be removed, with a new four drive-through to be constructed attached to the main building.

The improvement will also include more parking and additional landscaping.

Work is slated to start next spring, with most of the work expected to be completed by the end of 2022, according to information presented at Tuesday’s meeting.

The bank’s first floor was built in 1971, with the second and third floors added 20 years later, according to city records.