High School Athletic Complex Project receives Planning Board approval

posted on 9/30/2025

The Dover High School Athletic Complex Project received Planning Board approval and went out to bid last week.

The Planning Board reviewed the Joint Building Committee’s plans on Sept. 23, granting the two conditional use permits the JBC sought and the site plan amendment. The project amends the new Dover High School’s site plan approved in 2016, as the athletic complex is a renovation and reconstruction project.

Also, the construction manager hired by the JBC, Eckman Construction Company, Inc., has released the bid packet based on the engineering specifications prepared by design consultant Tighe & Bond, Inc. JBC Chair and City Councilor Fergus Cullen said he expects the committee to receive and begin to review bid proposals in late October. Different parts of the job, such as site work and the construction of components, are likely to be awarded to different companies.

Site work can’t start until the JBC receives an alteration of terrain permit from the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services, which the department is reviewing now. Cullen anticipates approval to occur in November.

“The big question is whether we will be able to get underway before winter sets in, and how much progress we are able to make before spring,” Cullen said. “To paraphrase Lincoln, it is the progress of our site work upon which all else chiefly depends.”

While final project details will be determined based on bids and available funding, the current plan includes shifting the position of Dunaway Field, installing synthetic turf and a new track, ADA-compliant seating and amenities, and improved lighting. The shifting of Dunaway Field allows the rotation and expansion of the baseball field to create a second multi-purpose athletic field at Dover High School. The City Council in June authorized $18 million for the project.

The JBC meets next on Oct. 1. 

For more information about the project, visit https://www.dover.nh.gov/government/boards-and-commissions/joint-building-committee-athletic-complex/.