March 2023 The Reporter
15
City hears $44.7M Community Center Proposal
Mayor’s proposal offers 4 options for twice approved voter project The East Providence City Council received a long-awaited proposal at its February 21st meeting, to build a Community Center. Mayor Bob DaSilva has been a major proponent of the project since being elected as East Providence’s first-ever full time Mayor. “Based on community input over the last several months, we have put together a plan on what we envision as a community center,” said Mayor DaSilva. “Twice in the past, the community voted to have a community center,” said DaSilva. “We’re looking at the grass field behind the senior center and across from East Providence High School.” DaSilva is referring to a twice approved bond issue for a recreation center in the years 2002 and again in 2004. Although the voters approved the bonds, the then City Council refused to release the bonds which was a required step in the total process. The center was never built as costs have escalated. “Our proposed center is centrally located on a bus route, across the street from the high school and will serve multiple purposes. The pool will be available for the high school to use as well as the community in general,” added the Mayor. Although twice approved by voters, the original plan was for a basic recreation only center to be built on land at Pierce Memorial Field. The original price tag was around $6 million. Twenty-one years later the plan has grown to a full Community Center for considerably more money but with many more amenities including a pool. The project was broken down in a way in which some or all of the project can be built. The cost for the entire 61,310 square foot site to be completed is $44,725,455. The project can be built in increments as follows: The Auditorium cost is $7M; Fitness & Administration Center is $19M; Aquatic Center (pool) is $7.2M; site costs for electrical, concrete, utilities, etc. is $3.2M; Contractor related costs are $3.9M and Design fees are $4.5M. The proposal offered four alternative options: • Option 1. Delete the pool at $8.5M, new total project cost $36.3M. • Option 2. Delete the auditorium at $7.1M, new project cost $37.7M • Option 3. Delete the walking track at $550K, expand first floor to include track for $2.8M, new project cost $31.4M. • Option 4. Delete 1st floor shower rooms and entire 2nd floor at $6.6M, new project cost $25M. The outside patio/amphitheater area could be deleted for additional savings of $370K.
Proposed commnuity center entrance rendering. Starck Architects. Currently the city’s recreation department has offices and some services housed at the Rock Senior Center building. The recreation center moved there after the city closed the decades old Recreation Center at 100 Bullocks Point avenue. The Bullocks Point building was the site of the original Riverside Junior High which closed in 1967 upon the opening of the new junior high in its current Forbes Street location. The old center was in dire need of remodeling, repairs and accessibility. It wasn’t centrally located and had limited parking. Basically, the City has been without a recreation or community center since the closing of the obsolete old Junior High site. The near $45M price tag is steep, on top of the two recent bond issues for schools which were overwhelmingly approved by local voters. DaSilva told the council that he envisioned using some of the American Rescue Plan or “ARPA” funds, state and federal grants, a little bit of police “Google” funding (only available for police planning) and possibly a small bond issue request before the public. The city currently has $3 million put aside for the project, thanks to a project grant from soon to be gone, Congressman David N. Cicilline. That leaves just shy of $42 million to be raised if the entire project is built. Mayor DaSilva explained that the different areas of the site would “most likely be used by different segments of the population at different times. Senior citizens during the daytime, after school by students, seminars and training also in their own areas.” “Do we have projections on staffing costs,” asked Council President Bob Rodericks. “For instance, with the pool. I assume we’ll need a certified lifeguard on duty, that people can’t just come in off the street and swim unsupervised,” he added. continued on next page...
Proposed Community Center interior lobby area with access to all areas. Starck Architects.