The Portsmouth Partnership announced plans to convert the empty lot where Zion Baptist Church burned down in 2007 into a semi‑permanent food‑truck stop. A $15,000 Community Vitality Grant will fund electrical outlets, lighting and a small stage, creating a vibrant gathering spot in the heart of the district.
Supporting emerging entrepreneurs
Liz Pasqualini, director of Portsmouth’s Main Street initiative, said the goal is to give budding restaurant entrepreneurs a place to test concepts, attract customers and build their businesses. “The word here is modest but impactful,” Pasqualini said. “It’s a $15,000 grant that will transform this lot into a semi‑permanent food‑truck spot in the center of our district, a place for budding restaurant entrepreneurs to be able to test their concepts and refine what they’re doing, attract an audience, and build the vitality we’re looking for here in the district.”
Addressing unmet demand
A study conducted about a year ago with the Portsmouth Economic Development Authority and the Retail Alliance found an unmet demand for roughly 14 additional restaurants in the district. The food‑truck stop is intended to bridge the gap between vendors at farmers markets and pop‑up events and businesses ready to open permanent restaurants.
Planning and future development
The partnership has not yet finalized vendor selection or program operations, but is working with Small Business Development Center partners to determine what additional support businesses need to grow. The temporary setup will create activity along High Street while the partnership evaluates longer‑term development options for the property and seven adjacent parcels.
In addition to the $15,000 grant, the partnership received a separate $110,000 award for pre‑development services to help determine the best use for the site and surrounding land. Pasqualini said the long‑term vision likely includes commercial space along the High Street corridor, potentially combined with residential development. “Once we break ground and actually turn this into a buildable site, we’ll be able to take that improvement and that investment into other areas in our city,” she said.
Timeline
The infrastructure installed for the food‑truck stop could eventually be moved to another location in Portsmouth as redevelopment moves forward. The partnership hopes to launch the food‑truck stop in spring 2027.
Original reporting: WTKR News 3 (Scripps) – local — read the source article.
