Exeter Country Club postpones construction of new clubhouse and restaurant due to rising costs

July 19, 2024

EXETER – Exeter Country Club’s plans to build a new clubhouse and restaurant are on hold – at least for now.

Blind Tiger, LLC, which manages the club at 58 Jady Hill, recently requested a one-year extension from the city’s Planning Board to build a new two-story clubhouse with a second-floor restaurant.

The motion was unanimously approved by the board on July 11.

Blind Tiger, LLC cited “unforeseen financial circumstances” as the reason for delaying the project.

“Based on recent discussions with the project contractor, construction costs are expected to be significantly higher than originally anticipated,” Emanuel Engineering wrote to the Planning Board on behalf of the applicant. “Blind Tiger, LLC is actively evaluating cost-saving measures to ensure the financial viability of the project.”

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The project, approved in July 2023, called for the demolition of the existing 280-square-meter clubhouse and its replacement with a two-story, 615-square-meter building. The ground floor would house the club and pro shop.

The restaurant would be located on the second floor and would replace the current concession stand in the club. Plans called for an 80-seat dining room, a 47-seat bar and an event space that would be open to the public.

Bruce Scamman of Emmanuel Engineering told the planning committee on July 11 that the one-year extension also allows them to meet the 13 conditions the committee set out as part of the project approval. Those conditions, which included a pre-construction meeting and submission of a final plan that complies with the changes recommended by the committee, have not all been met, he added.

Justin Jumper, one of the owners of Blind Tiger, LLC, said this week that construction costs have nearly doubled since the project was originally planned.

“We started thinking about this project right during the pandemic,” he said. “What we designed then was affordable, but because of interest rates and inflation, it is no longer affordable.”

Jumper said some of the cost-saving measures his team is considering include reducing the building to a single story. Regardless, the new building will still house the club shop, pro shop and a restaurant with “upscale American pub cuisine,” he said.

The Planning Board unanimously approved the project last year, despite strong opposition from residents of the Jady Hill neighborhood, who raised concerns about drainage, traffic, safety and whether the property would require a change of use permit.

Jumper said last year that he and his team had done “everything humanly possible” to address those concerns and vowed to “be an excellent neighbor.”

Jumper said this week he hopes construction will begin this fall or early next year, noting that Blind Tiger, LLC is “still very excited about bringing this new option to town.”

“We think the country club members deserve a new clubhouse and pro shop, and we think the town needs another option as far as food and beverage,” he added. “We think it will be one of the nicest restaurants in town considering the view of the golf course.”

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