There's plenty of demand for the Recreation Department's vacation and summer camps, sports leagues and classes- some of the upcoming summer camps are already full – but the department's community centers present challenges.
The four centers – Green Street, East Concord, the Heights and West Street Ward House – have one thing in common: They were all built for non-recreation purposes. Add three buildings at or approaching 100 years old, and you have a bit of a conundrum.
To that end, the city is hosting two public forums on the future of the community centers. The meetings will be held in City Council Chambers, 37 Green St., on April 16 at 7 p.m. and April 17 at 10 a.m. Recreation Director David Gill says input from the community is really important at this stage: “The sky's the limit,” he says. “It's a brainstorming session.”
What you, readers, are tasked with determining is whether the city should upgrade the existing buildings or consider building a new community center. To help you organize your thoughts, we visited all four centers with David last week. We have details on the use of each building and some of the challenges each faces. But before you pe into our “state of the community centers” address, here's what you need to know:
- The Recreation Department is conducting a needs assessment on each of the community centers. That work is being done by the Concord-based H.L. Turner Group, a team of architects and engineers that specialize in municipal projects. The Turner Group will report on the cost to upgrade the existing buildings, and will explore the idea of building a new community center.
Read up on the community centers here and bring your ideas to the forum this week. In the meantime, feel free to post your thoughts on the community centers at our website, theconcordinsider.com.
Wondering why we didn't mention the Penacook Community Center? That center is independently operated, so not part of the Recreation Department. We wrote about PCC last spring. Check it out here. (Search for “Penacook Community Center.”)
Green Street Community Center
The Green Street Community Center was built in 1920 and is the largest of the four centers. It used to be an armory.
Girls Inc. and the Petit Papillion School of Ballet rent space to run programs. There’s a large gym, meeting rooms, a multipurpose room off of the gym, vending machines and a dance studio upstairs. There’s also a dressing room that’s being used as a computer training room for City Hall.
There are several challenges that would need to be addressed. The gym is showing water spots, which means water is coming in from nearby Spring Street. David estimates the cost of ripping up the gym floor and addressing the water problem to be in the six-figure range. The windows are small and old, and there’s no air conditioning. Throw a bunch of kids and adults in a hot gym in the summer and you can imagine how that might be rather unpleasant. The basketball court is also showing significant wear and isn’t completely smooth, so kids can trip on the rough spots. The noise in the gym limits when the building can be rented out by outside organization. Parking is another issue – the closest parking is a metered lot with few spaces. The outside brick requires repointing – there are spots where you could put your finger through the mortar.
West Street Ward House
Many people are familiar with the West Street Ward House as a place to vote, but it has recently become a spot for seniors to socialize and keep active. Both the Centennial Center and the Concord Recreation Department’s senior programs are held there five days a week. Thanks to its ample free parking and quiet, residential location, the center has a lively night and weekend life, too, and is rented out often for shindigs and such.
However, it was built in the late 1800s, and the building could use a pick-me-up – slate roof tiles are falling off, the exterior needs resealing because of water damage, the floor needs to be re-leveled and more. The partnership with the Centennial Center has been beneficial, David points out, in the sense that the interior walls have been repainted and the seniors are planning on beautifying the outside by planting flowers, but the building would certainly appreciate more TLC.
Heights Community Center
The Heights Community Center, 22 Canterbury St., is conveniently located next to Keach Park, making it the perfect spot to hold some of the Concord Recreation Department’s summer camps. With a pool and plenty of space for budding soccer stars to run around, the park is well-used and well-loved.
There’s plenty of potential to make the community center just as well-received. Built in 1955, it’s newer and has less damage than the other three buildings. It’s not without its problems though – for one, the parking lot is currently shared with a next-door-neighbor, the Dame School, so it’s tough to find a space while school’s in session. Plus, the gym is in desperate need of some air conditioning and sound proofing. Try being a camp counselor or a teacher at Concord Christian Academy (the school rents space there) and dealing with chatty children in a room where even a whisper sounds like someone is yelling. The space could use a little natural light as well – it’s pretty dark inside.
East Concord Community Center
Built in 1877, the East Concord Community Center, 18 Eastman St., was once a fire station. Now, instead of firemen rushing in and out its doors, munchkins do. The East Concord Cooperative Preschool has a home there Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 9 a.m. to noon during the school year. When school’s out, the upstairs is rented out for an assortment of activities ranging from archery to taekwondo.
East Concord Community Center has challenges similar to what the other centers face. For example, it could use an elevator to make it more handicap accessible, air conditioning and some general sprucing up.
One of its bigger issues can be found in the basement where some serious water damage has occurred. Located by a dam, this center’s basement could double as a swimming pool. Bring galoshes if you ever plan to hang out down there. The outside is showing its age, too, which doesn’t help with the water situation.
