MANCHESTER, N.H. – With construction set to begin in the near future, members of the Manchester Joint Committee on School Buildings got a look at “late stage” designs for the upcoming new version of Beech Street Elementary School during their March 10, 2026 meeting.
One of the key components in the first phase of the Manchester School District’s Long-Term Facilities Planning Project, the current budget related to the school sits at $81,435,610 as of Jan. 31, 2026 according to documents submitted in the packet for the committee’s March 11, 2026 meeting packet.
Modifications to sidewalks on Beech Street are expected near what will be an area dedicated for parking and student drop-off in what is currently the southern part of the playground area of Sheridan-Emmett Park. A cafeteria and gymnasium will be to the right of the entranceway of the building near Beech Street with classrooms, playgrounds and other facilities in the western part of the facility.
Joint Committee on School Buildings Chair Jim O’Connell noted that there is an expectation that the playground area will be open to the community once the school day ends and students leave the building. He also expects the building to evolve over the upcoming decades of its lifespan.
“I expect this property to be a landmark piece of the future of Manchester,” “I mean, it’s right there in the center of Manchester making a big statement about our values and what we value in our families.”
Preliminary work on the site such as foundation and soil remediation is expected to start within the next few weeks. Significant structural work is expected to begin sometime between mid-summer and early fall.
Construction is expected to be concluded by summer of 2028, with demolition of the current Beech Street Elementary School to begin soon after that point and a new playground, basketball court and soccer field expected at the site of the current Beech Street Elementary School once its demolition is completed.