MANCHESTER, N.H. – A brand new and redesigned Revo Casino and Social House came back to Manchester’s land use boards this month after the acquisition of additional nearby properties allowed the creation of an expanded vision for the project.
Previously, the project would have a footprint consisting of the current Revo lot along with the former Harley-Davidson dealership and Even Hotel lots on John E. Devine Drive. However, plans for the creation of a new casino using those three plots of land now have been amended after news that Enterprise Car Rental and Taylor Rental/Gold Street Motors lots on Gold Street will also be added to the proposed rebirth of the facility.
Proposed by New Hampshire Group LLC, the five parcels total more than 14 acres and the new proposed version of the charitable gaming facility will have a 73,240 square-foot interior with approximately 700 gaming stations as well as restaurants and a stadium-style event center. The expanded footprint for the expected combination of the five parcels into one convinced the project’s planners to reduce the building to one floor and increase parking to approximately 1,000 spots.
The joint Sunoco-Dunkin’ Donuts abutting the facility on South Willow Street will be given approximately 12,000 square feet along its western edge to facilitate a complete reconstruction that will provide tree buffers along the edges of the property and a new building that would mirror the style of the neighboring re-imagined casino.
During the June 4th Manchester Planning Board meeting, the revised and expanded plan was discussed, with details on how this proposal varies from the most recent proposal that received support in recent months.
The rebuilt casino and social house building is moved to a more centralized location in the new plan, allowing for a perpendicular thoroughfare between John E. Devine Drive, Gold Street and South Willow Street, with a roundabout at its intersection where the main entrance to the building will be located. The South Willow Street entrance will be across from South Porter Street.
In addition to these access points, an easement on the western part of the Goodwill property on John E. Devine Drive will be retained as well as another entry point through the New Hampshire Liquor Store Outlet on Gold Street.
Planning Board Vice Chair Bob Gagne advised that an analysis of turning lanes into South Willow Street from John E. Devine Drive and into John E. Devine Drive from South Willow Street after the modifications to traffic flow with the new plans.
Planning Board Aldermanic Representative Bryce Kaw-uh noted that the city’s new zoning ordinance recommends new buildings along most of South Willow Street be placed close to the street. Real estate developer and property owner Dick Anagnost, speaking on behalf of New Hampshire Group LLC, said that in this case a more centralized location for the building was necessary to reduce the amount of walking that patrons will have to undertake from their cars to the entrances of the building. Anagnost estimated that if the building were placed near the street, the westernmost parking spaces would be approximately 700 feet away from the building and potentially unused much of the time.
Kaw-uh also asked why decorations originally proposed near the northwestern portion of the building had been removed from the previous plan as well as why garages were not considered for parking. In response, the board learned that the decorations would no longer be necessary in that area since that area would be primarily be used for employee parking and loading zones. Regarding possible garages, it was revealed that garages would not be financially feasible, with one spot within a garage coming in at an estimated $60,000.
In addition to a request for approval of the revised site plan, representatives of the proposal also sought a conditional use permit for a reduction in required parking while the building is under construction and an official adjustment of the lot lines between the newly combined casino lot and the rebuilt gas station. The gas station also submitted a site plan application as well as a conditional use permit application asking to reduce on-site parking from the required 19 to 14.
The public hearing on this discussion was closed, with decisions likely coming at the board’s next limited business meeting.
At the June 11th Manchester Zoning Board of Adjustment meeting, representatives of the project sought relief from sections of the Manchester Zoning Ordinance regarding parking lot interior landscaping, parking lot perimeter landscape, parking lot interior landscaping distribution, parking lot landscape islands parking lot landscape medians and monument sign illumination.
Many of these variance needs centered around the need for additional trees and shrubs within the newly proposed plan. While earlier editions of the proposal were allowed to proceed without these landscaping variances, that was due to the fact that they were submitted prior to the installment of the new zoning ordinance, which began on March 1, 2026.
A total of 222 shade trees are required in the case of this proposal under the new zoning ordinance while plans only 168 were presented in the proposal. Engineer Brian Pratt of Fuss and O’Neill said that reaching 222 trees on the property would create significant overgrowth, with Anagnost noting that the property currently only has eight trees.
Likewise, 1100 shrubs would be required to meet requirements for a proposal with the specifications of the new Revo. Again, Pratt felt this was infeasible and stated the Manchester Police Department asked to reduce the number of shrubs due to visibility and safety concerns.
In the new zoning ordinance, monument-style signs are not allowed to be internally illuminated, but Pratt felt that an externally illuminated monument sign on John E. Devine Drive would be too bright at night and that a monument sign was more appropriate than a pole-based sign in that location.
Members of the zoning board had a positive response to the proposal given how they considered the plan to be an improvement over the area compared to its current status even though it did not meet all requirements of the zoning ordinance.
The variances were granted with a 5-0 vote.
Additional action allowing the development on green space along the right-of-way on South Willow Street is also part of the new plan, and that will require action by the Board of Mayor and Aldermen.
