The Antrim Mill property on Main Street has been largely empty for decades. ZanderKempf, a New Hampshire resident, military veteran and real estate developer, hopes to change that.

Kempf, who grew up in Amherst and is the founder of Clear Summit Investments, bought the property about a year-and-a-half ago for around $540,000. The property consists of three main sections: a large brick building that can be seen from Main Street in Antrim, a long, three-story wood section that is currently painted white and runs behind the brick section and a four-story brick building across the stream behind the first two sections. Kempf hopes to create both commercial and residential spaces within the property.

The property, which was originally a location of Goodell Manufacturing, is about 63,000 square feet. Kempf plans to use about two-thirds of the space for affordable rental units, which will be a mix of studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments.

“The rest of it will be commercial,” Kempf said. “For current tenants we have the Teen Center, Avenue A. They’re a nonprofit, support a lot of local teens, we’re absolutely keeping them. We have a commercial florist, a couple offices, a painters’ studio, and then we have the Mocha Pot, which is a restaurant that is under construction right now.”

The Avenue A Teen Center is a program of The Grapevine Family & Community Resource Center. Melissa Gallagher, executive director of the Grapevine, echoed Kempf’s desire to keep Avenue A.

“Our hope is to continue in that space. We’ve been there since 2007. It’s not the only place we operate out of, but I would certainly describe it as a hub,” Gallagher said. “We’re working on a long-term plan to be there.”

Both Gallagher and Kempf mentioned the importance of Avenue A to the Antrim community and surrounding towns.

“[Kempf] strikes me as community-minded, and I think he’s heard from people in town, ‘Is the Teen Center going to stay?’ And every indication from him is saying that it is,” Gallagher said.

Regarding the other commercial spaces, Kempf said the restaurant, Mocha Pot, should be done with construction and opening by the end of July. He added that there are still some commercial spaces that aren’t planned out yet.

“Potentially [we’ll have] a fitness center, if we can find someone to run it,” he said.

The property also includes significant outdoor space and a stream. Kempf hopes to add a bridge crossing the stream and do other work on the outdoor area. 

“The idea is to make a really nice outdoor landscaped area so you can encourage general wellness, indoor-outdoor living and also just to create a really good community space, not just for residents, but for the general population to enjoy,” he said.

Kempf hopes to get the property designated as a historic monument, which he said would dictate some of the ways in which the interior is designed and constructed. The historic monument designation is a three-part process. Kempf said that part one has been approved, which is an important step that involves the National Park Service saying that the property is most likely eligible for the designation and gives Kempf permission to move forward with the rest of the process.

“It’s saying that [the property] has historical significance,” he said. “This was built in the mid-1800s; it’s a very key part of this town. The historical significance that this had for jobs and the local economy really allowed the area to develop.” 

The final designation won’t come until all the renovation work is done, but Kempf will be working to fit requirements throughout the process of finalizing construction plans and doing construction work. 

According to Kempf, the designation will also allow for historic tax credits that will help to finance the affordable apartments.

Kempf will also be applying for low-income housing tax credits in August, which are done on a competitive basis. 

“Assuming we get approved, we would start construction next summer. The residential will take a year to a year-and-a-half to build, so fall or winter 2024 is when we would start to have occupancy,” Kempf said.

On the commercial side, Kempf says things will likely move much quicker.

“The commercial side is half-occupied now,” he said. We’re working through our planning right now with the town. That could feasibly be done within the next year.”

The Antrim Zoning Board of Adjustment is scheduled to meet on the matter Wednesday at 7 p.m. at Antrim Town Hall, and the Planning Board is scheduled to meet Thursday at 7 p.m. at Antrim Town Hall. Kampf hopes to get the final approvals needed from the town at these meetings and be  able to move forward with the project.

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