DURHAM — The University of New Hampshire and the town of Durham have received a proposal for the redevelopment of the former Alpha Tau Omega fraternity site on Main Street, but have requested it be revised.

UNH closed on the sale of 66 Main St. in October 2014 with a purchase price of $2.1 million and issued a joint request for proposal with Durham in March. A committee comprised of UNH and town officials was created to evaluate all submissions and make a final recommendation to the Town Council and the University System of New Hampshire board of trustees.

The RFP stated that the team would like an 80- to 100-bed hotel, and would consider contributing Hetzel and Alexander Hall to the project, as both are located across the street from the site. However, the RFP stipulates that any loss of student beds must be replaced elsewhere on campus by the developer.

Ultimately, only one firm, Carpenter/Fairmont/Gilbane represented by Heneage Consulting Group, submitted a proposal for the site. The firm proposed that Hetzel and Alexander Halls be redeveloped into a 105-room boutique hotel with a lounge and restaurant, linked together with a new lobby. The group proposed that the students be relocated to a new student housing complex elsewhere on campus. The 66 Main Street site along with abutting People’s Bank would then be developed into around 40,000 square feet of retail and restaurants, 18,000 of which could be used to relocate the Barnes and Noble Bookstore currently located in the Memorial Union Building. The upper floors of the building were proposed to be rental residences, focused on young professionals and the 55-years-old and up market. There would also be a park area built in the rear of the property and a parking garage built in the Pettee Brook parking lot.

Town Administrator Todd Selig said the selection committee was interested in the project, but was concerned that the residential portion of the building at 66 Main Street might be used for student housing, a use the town and UNH is not interested in. They were also concerned that joining Alexander and Hetzel Hall together would eliminate the emergency and service access to the UNH quad behind it. Selig said they were also concerned with losing the pedestrian access through the Pettee Brook lot, as a pedestrian bridge was just built there. The firm is currently working on revisions to the proposal, Selig said.

“We are curious to see what they come back with,” Selig said. “The Durham/UNH team will work with the proposer until we get to a point where we believe the project is really viable for Durham and UNH.”

Selig said that if and when the issues with the proposal are ironed out, a public presentation of the proposal would be held.