Brady Sullivan seeks to convert top deck of Plaza parking garage into about 60 apartments and keep garage public
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Summary
Brady Sullivan presented a plan to convert the top level of the Plaza Drive parking garage to roughly 60 residential units, tied to the mall complex by a covered skywalk. The applicant says shared parking across the complex will accommodate residents and customers and that recent retail-to-residential conversions reduced daytime parking demand.
Brady Sullivan presented a concept Tuesday to convert the top level of the Plaza Drive parking garage into about 60 residential units, a plan that would repurpose an underused deck while retaining much of the plaza’s public parking.
The site abuts Spring Street, Canal Street and Mechanic Street; the plaza building has a covered “skywalk” connection to the downtown retail spine and the applicant said that proximity and sheltered pedestrian access make the location attractive for residents who would rely on walking and transit as well as private vehicles.
Engineer Brian Pratt said the plaza’s overall parking capacity would remain in the hundreds after the conversion even though the top deck would contain apartments. He said recent conversions inside the plaza reduced daytime parking demand and that shared-use parking between daytime office/retail customers and overnight residential tenants can work with signage and permit controls. The applicant submitted a trip-generation memo and then provided additional counts and follow-up data requested by DPW; Pratt said the team was responding to DPW’s technical questions and would finalize a traffic memo.
Architecture: Chris Lewis described a townhouse-style layout for the new units sitting over the deck, with units stepping to follow the deck’s geometry. Many of the proposed apartments are two‑story townhome units, and the applicant indicated a heavy share of three-bedroom units in the mix.
Public comment and issues: None were offered at Tuesday’s hearing. The board asked for clarifications about circulation, dumpster and trash-handling arrangements and safety; the applicant said refuse would continue to be handled by a plaza‑wide service and that a single consolidated dumpster pad is proposed on site. The board asked the applicant to confer with police and DPW about circulation and signage and to examine a possible pole/transformer relocation for utilities and a plan for tree planting and street-level aesthetic improvements that are already under way.
Next steps: The board left the hearing open and asked the applicant to provide finalized traffic documentation and the DPW responses; staff said follow-up findings could be ready for the March 6 continuation if DPW and the applicant finalize responses.
Why it matters: The conversion would increase downtown housing supply and reuse an existing parking structure. It raises typical downtown tradeoffs about shared parking, circulation at garage entrances and street-level design but offers a high‑value location near Elm Street and downtown amenities.
Sources: Presentation by Brian Pratt and Chris Lewis; Manchester Planning Board meeting transcript, Feb. 20, 2025.
