Monadnock Economic Development Corporation outlines housing, brownfields and childcare efforts

Cody Morrison, executive director of the Monadnock Economic Development Corporation, told Cheshire County commissioners on Feb. 12 that MEDC is focusing new resources on housing, childcare and environmental remediation to support local business growth.

Morrison said MEDC recently secured an EPA-funded brownfields grant to support cleanup of contaminated industrial sites; a formal community announcement is expected in March once federal paperwork is complete. “Our board recently voted to approve a grant request for a community within the county,” Morrison said, adding that the program targets abandoned factories, gas stations and other parcels with soil contamination so sites can be redeveloped.

Morrison described a new regional housing development fund MEDC has created to provide gap financing to developers. He said the fund aims to cover the last roughly 10% of financing that often prevents projects from closing. Morrison cited recent projects MEDC helped finance, including a 57-unit apartment building in Keene and another residential addition in Jaffrey, and said the City of Keene provided seed capital in its 2025 budget.

On childcare, Morrison described a program that assists home-based and small center providers with licensing, facility upgrades and zoning navigation. He said MEDC recently partnered with New Hampshire Childcare Aware for licensure and professional-development support, added a zoning consultant to help providers navigate local rules, and expects to announce early spring expansion projects.

Morrison also described MEDC’s legacy real-estate development work—leasing, renovating and, in some cases, reselling industrial properties to retain employers—and said the organization is undergoing strategic planning and board expansion. He said MEDC is hiring an additional full-time employee this year to support program growth.

Commissioners asked about the Troy Mills and King Prairie properties. Morrison said MEDC was not involved with the Troy Mills acquisition and that a pending lawsuit involving a water commission is affecting planning at King Prairie; hookups and water service remain a limiting issue for proposed residential units. He said some projects require approvals from local water authorities and that conversations about impacts on local tax bases and services were ongoing.

Morrison asked commissioners and other local officials to refer businesses or town projects to MEDC. He said the organization will continue working with municipalities, the Southwest Region Planning Commission and private partners to advance redevelopment, housing and childcare capacity in the county.

Ending: MEDC said it will issue a formal brownfields site announcement in March and anticipates additional housing and childcare project announcements in the spring. Commissioners and staff indicated continued interest in working with MEDC on projects that require coordinated planning, funding and local approvals.