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Zoning board approves conversion of Hallsville School to 36‑unit affordable housing, preserves gym for Parks & Rec

5969078 · July 10, 2025
AI-Generated Content: All content on this page was generated by AI to highlight key points from the meeting. For complete details and context, we recommend watching the full video. so we can fix them.

Summary

Manchester Zoning Board granted multiple variances for the adaptive reuse of the vacant Hallsville School at 275 Jewett Street into 36 affordable housing units and a community gym, after months of neighborhood debate about traffic, parking and property values.

The Manchester Zoning Board of Adjustment voted 4–1 July 10 to grant variances needed to convert the long‑vacant Hallsville School at 275 Jewett Street into a 36‑unit affordable housing development while preserving the building's gym for Parks & Recreation programs.

The project team said the plan will create 13 studios, 14 one‑bedrooms and 9 two‑bedrooms, provide on‑site parking and add landscaping and sidewalks around the former school. "The incorporation of a well‑managed, well‑landscaped, beautified property would increase the property values in the neighborhood," said Anne Ketterer, the project architect with Novo Studio.

Why it matters: The Hallsville campus has been unused since 2021 and community members and city officials described ongoing problems with vandalism and trash. Supporters said putting residents back into the building and professionally managing the site would reduce those problems and add much‑needed affordable units in a market with a very low vacancy rate.

What the board heard: The hearing drew more than a dozen in‑person speakers…

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