Exeter downtown businesses irked by ongoing Ioka construction: 'Hurry up and get it done'

EXETER — Construction to transform the century-old Ioka building into a mixed-use development with a speak-easy restaurant, retail and condos is nearing the finish line.

And for nearby businesses, the end can't come soon enough.

Businesses have expressed growing frustration that the project, which began in 2021, has gone on for this long. Mainly, they are frustrated with the impact the construction has had on the downtown — from parking to noise.

“Not only do (construction workers) take up parking on the street in front of the Ioka… but a number of spots in the front lot are also taken, that’s a deterrent for our customers,” said Tiffany Farmakis-Day, owner of Exeter Fine Crafts . “We’ve had customers say that they decided not to go downtown because they saw the construction and just decided to go somewhere else.”

The complaints from business owners have escalated to the Select Board , where Chairman Niko Papakonstantis said the town held a meeting last week with the developers of the project.

Farmakis-Day, whose store is adjacent to the Ioka, said the ongoing construction has resulted in reduced foot traffic in the downtown.

“It’s just been ongoing for such a long time,” she said. “We do look forward to the light at the end of the tunnel.”

The Ioka building, located at 55 Water Street , was purchased by developers David Cowie and Jay Caswell in 2020 after it had been dormant since 2008. The new Ioka will feature a speakeasy-style restaurant in the basement, two retail spaces on the street level, and eight units of condos above.

Cowie also purchased the space next door at 45 Water Street , which formerly housed Travel & Nature, citing its “essential” role in the restoration of the Ioka. The two-story building is also being converted into a mixed-use space with two residential units on top and a retail space on the street level.

The alleyway between the Ioka and the former Travel & Nature building will be the main entrance to the public patio/deck in the back of the 45 Water St. building and the speakeasy-style restaurant in the basement of the Ioka.

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Ioka construction impacting downtown businesses

Nancy Tozier, owner of Faces From Nature Spa , located next to the 45 Water Street building, said the ongoing project has “greatly impacted her business.”

“The nature of my business is that I am a skincare professional,” she said. “I give my clients facials, which should be a soothing, relaxing, quiet, soft music-kind of event, and I’ve heard bang, bang, bang, bang, boom, boom, boom, loud music. I’ve tried to be a really good neighbor and not say anything for a long time, but it was to the point where it was getting ridiculous.”

Tozier launched Faces From Nature a few months before construction began at the Ioka and former Travel & Nature building. Coming from Maine, she emphasized the importance of building a clientele during the early stages of opening a business.

“I can’t really say what I’ve lost (due to the construction), but what I didn’t gain… I bet probably 50%,” she said. “...They just needed to hurry up and get it done.”

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Ioka spokesperson says project is in 'the fourth quarter'

Joe Stagnone, communications manager for the Ioka and Travel & Nature building project, said the main reason the project has taken so long is that it’s a restoration, not a new build.

“The difference between new construction… you can attack the property from all four sides without impacting anybody else, compare that now to a restoration in a downtown area where you can only attack the building or have access to the building from one side,” he said. “If we could demolish the building and start from scratch, it would have been done in a third of the time and probably half the expense.”

Cowie, the owner of both buildings, likened the project to “building a ship inside a bottle.”

Stagnone said there isn’t a completion date but stated the project is near the finish line.

“Please bear with us," he said. "We want this done faster than anybody else who wants it done… We’re in the fourth quarter. I can’t tell you when the fourth quarter will end, I can’t tell you if it’ll go into overtime, things happen, but we’re making steady progress.”

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Exeter working on 'equitable solutions' to downtown Ioka woes

Papakonstantis announced Monday he attended a meeting with the owners of the Ioka project spearheaded by Darren Winham, the town’s economic development director. He said the town is trying to resolve concerns from nearby businesses, especially regarding road closures and parking.

Selectman Dan Chartrand, who also owns Water Street Bookstore at 125 Water Street, said he was happy to hear a meeting took place.

“My fellow business owners right in that area have been impacted tremendously, and whatever we can do to get them (the owners of the Ioka) to be very conscious of the (parking) spaces they take and when they take them and how many they take… Sometimes, there are spaces being taken that don’t need to be taken.”

Winham said he told Ioka owners the importance of only utilizing the six parking spaces in front of their own properties.

“As everyone knows, with such a large project in such a challenging location, there will be logistical problems,” he said. “My office has been trying to manage equitable solutions to issues as they arise. We are certainly impressed with the patience and partnership all parties have shown, and the town will continue to monitor the process and assist as the situation dictates.”

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Exeter downtown businesses irked by ongoing Ioka construction: 'Hurry up and get it done'