5: Sunrise Towers

In 1965, the City of Laconia adopted an Urban Renewal plan, funded in part by the federal government, to improve conditions downtown and attract shoppers and businesses. The City replaced many buildings, including several mill structures surrounding the Belknap and Busiel Mills, with the Laconia Mall, Sunrise Towers, Stewart Park, City Hall, a parking garage, and parking lots.

Built on the site of the First Methodist Church (earlier the Unitarian Church), and opened in May 1970,  Sunrise Towers is now part of Laconia Housing.  It is a seven-story complex with 98 apartments. In 2019, a nearby office building adjacent to the Towers, was converted into Sunrise House, providing 16 more apartments.

In addition to the First Methodist Church, other structures razed for construction of the Towers included Corriveau’s Furniture, Dearborn’s Diner (formerly Earl’s Diner), and two gasoline service stations, Johnson's (earlier, Whittum’s) and Dorval and Malone. The historic Woodbury Melcher mansion (later owned by Bessie Clow) was also razed to make way for the Towers.

In 2020, ownership of Sunrise Towers  transitioned from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to Laconia Housing, putting control of the property into local hands and enabling the agency to make capital improvements to enhance the residents’ quality of life.