Developers present concept for 35,000 sq ft Sportsplex expansion and entertainment venue on South River Road

Developers and the New Hampshire Sportsplex team presented a conceptual plan March 9 to build a 35,000‑square‑foot combined indoor athletics and entertainment facility at 409 South River Road, a 3.65‑acre parcel adjacent to the existing Sportsplex.

Project civil engineer Brian Pratt and ownership representative Justin Benton said the concept includes a roughly 7,300‑square‑foot front entertainment component (restaurant/bar, games and patio) overlooking a larger multi‑court athletic hall set into the site’s grade. The design uses the 30‑foot grade change across the lot to present a lower scale from the road while placing much of the athletic space at the lower grade with direct floor‑level access.

The team described a two‑level parking approach—about 108 spaces on the upper lot and roughly 80 additional spaces on the lower level shared with the existing Sportsplex—and said preliminary coordination with the New Hampshire DOT on driveway alignment and potential future medians/roundabout work had been positive. The applicants also said they plan exploratory soil testing for potential PFAS and will coordinate any needed handling with DES.

Board feedback: members expressed support for the concept but requested a full traffic study, details on how upper and lower parking will interconnect (including pedestrian circulation), a plan for snow storage, and more complete architectural renderings so the roadside façade fits the corridor. Several members cautioned against creating off‑site wayfinding or signage that could set a precedent for off‑premise signage, and asked applicants to limit any off‑site signage proposals and to pursue wayfinding solutions within DOT and town standards.

Operations: the team said operations and entertainment hours would likely mirror the existing Sportsplex program—beer/wine service in an indoor/outdoor entertainment area with activity hours concentrated in afternoons and early evenings and earlier weekend closings to accommodate youth programming.

What’s next: applicants will prepare traffic, PFAS sampling and architectural materials and continue coordination with DOT, DPW and the fire department before returning with detailed plans for formal review.