# 9.30.2026 Municipal Building Committee

The City of Portsmouth, New Hampshire Municipal Building Blue Ribbon Committee met on September 30, 2026, to review the municipal building and police facility project. JSA Architects presented revised conceptual plans for the third and fourth floors that retain more existing offices and walls to reduce demolition while preserving planned HVAC, electrical, plumbing, and other building upgrades. The committee also reviewed updated exterior concepts, including the sally port, and supported publishing revised project FAQs. Staff noted that the designs remain conceptual and that further design development and value engineering would follow; no contract award, bid approval, or vendor selection occurred.

Deputy City Manager Nathan Money presented a project estimate of $58.6 million, including $1.4 million already bonded, and modeled financing of the remaining $57.2 million. The model assumes 4.25% interest and projects $25.5 million in interest over the financing period; staff emphasized that actual borrowing would be phased and managed through the City’s capital improvement and bonding processes. On a motion, the committee approved a recommendation to the City Council, including the revised preferred design for the upper floors; the motion carried. The project is expected to proceed through the CIP process, with the Council retaining authority over future project and borrowing decisions, including a separate two-thirds vote to authorize bonds. A separate school department project was noted as proposed for the FY2028 CIP at $325,000.

**Jurisdictions:** sled
**Industries:** Construction & Infrastructure
**Topics:** Physical Infrastructure
**Published:** October 01, 2026

### Sources
- [9.30.2026 Municipal Building Committee](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=st1Zy7-d9M4) - City of Portsmouth, New Hampshire